Ghosts in the Fog Redux
by SirStonewall
Summary: The Fog have been using conscription to add to their ranks despite knowing humans struggle to get along. But the one question nobody knows the answer to is the biggest of them all; How far can you push a human before they snap?
1. Chapter 1

**[A/N]: Don't look elsewhere, this is indeed the redux of chapter one of Ghosts In The Fog. Both Chapter one and two haven't changed much, but chapter three is where everything COMPLETELY changes.**

 **This story was redone to be cooperative with the fic Daemons Of The Fog by Touhoufanatic, and our two stories will often parallel each other at times. I highly recommend that you read his fic alongside mine, as you'll get much more information if you do so.**

 **Put simply, confused? Go read his fic. If it doesn't make sense after that then ask your questions in a review. I'll be delighted to answer.**

* * *

The biggest change in my life started with a tuna fishing trip.

It's 2055, 0200 hours on a Friday. The moon is full, with some occasional clouds and a little bit of fog that stays low on the water, making it look like we're sailing over clouds.

The guy I'd chartered the boat from was pretty attractive I admit, though his ginger hair and beard seriously need a trim.

We had to leave early, since Fog destroyers like to hang around the port in the morning, to make sure nobody tries to go out to sea.

Even though he says they shouldn't arrive for another two hours at least, the captain keeps all the lights off as we slowly chug out past the jetty. The only illumination is that of the moon and the very dim fluorescent lights in the instrument panel.

"Now here's the dangerous part. If they showed up early they're going to hit us while we're on the bar. Put that life jacket on, and don't take it off until I say so."

He keeps his voice down, getting uncomfortably close to me so he doesn't have to speak up. I do as instructed, donning the navy blue life jacket before sitting down in the aft section of the boat and keeping my eyes fixed on the horizon, warily searching for any sign of the Fog warships that the captain has warned me about.

We steadily make progress over the gravel bar outside of the port, and once we're over the captain throttles up, turning on a single red light aimed ahead so he can spot anything in the water.

We head due west for two hours. The horizon is just barely starting to get light when he finally throttles down to an idle and cuts the engine.

"We're here. Without GPS this is the best I can do. The fish finder just marked a school at sixty feet, so start chumming; I'll get the rods set up."

"Yes sir, how deep is it here?"

He starts chuckling a little while he pulls two fishing rods off a rack and starts threading the fishing line through the guides. "You really want to know?"

"Yes sir I do."

He glances up at the fish finder next to the helm, squinting a little to see the numbers. "Two thousand, eight hundred, and thirty six feet deep. Don't fall overboard, you might get your feet wet." He grins slightly at the last bit, and starts tying a swivel onto the line of a rod before pausing. "You can drop the 'sir' crap too, I'm not even twenty yet, all the other captains call me Stonewall or Skipper."

I start cutting up herring and throwing the small chunks overboard, pacing it while we drift across the calm water.

A couple minutes later Skipper walks over to me and holds out one of the rods, which has a large metal jig on the line. "I assume you've done this before a time or two, so I don't have to tell you how to work a jig."

I nod, this isn't my first trip, I've gone out on Depoe Bay a few times, but this is my first time out of this bay.

I take the rod and pause the chumming while I drop the lure into the water and let it fall. "What depth are the tuna holding at?"

He glances up at the fish finder again while doing the same thing I am on the other side of the boat. "Thirty feet."

I let the jig fall a little further, and feel the fishing line in my fingers, though not for long, because the line suddenly starts spooling out like crazy.

"Got one!"

I flip the catch, kicking the reel into gear, and listen in giddy excitement as the reel screams.

* * *

We had a good morning, we both limited out, and we're just getting ready to head in when Skipper climbs up the light mast and eyes the horizon with a pair of binoculars. His carefree demeanor is suddenly gone, and he scrambles down the mast before starting the engine.

"Sit down and hold on! There's a Fog light cruiser coming our way!"

I barely have time to sit in the fighting chair before we accelerate and crank around, facing the rising sun. I can tell the throttle is pushed clear forward, but behind us I can see the cruiser starting to take shape, it's gaining on us, and there is no way we can outrun it in this old fishing boat.

Then, just as suddenly as we began moving, the boat stops accelerating, and starts slowing down.

"Come on you temperamental whore, now is not the time to act up!" I can hear Skipper repeatedly cursing the old boat, revving the engine and trying different things to get us moving again, but none of it works.

Just when I think things can't possibly get any worse, the water fifty yards to our port side erupts in a column of spray, and a Fog submarine breaches the surface.

As soon as the deck gun turns to aim at us I hear Skipper go quiet and turn off the engine.

He walks out of the wheelhouse a few seconds later, a lit cigarette in between his lips, tying a blindfold around his eyes. "Well, if you've got any last words you want to say, now's the time to say 'em."

The last thing I remember is a feeling like grabbing an electric fence intended for cattle before everything goes black.

* * *

When I wake up, I'm on a beach, face down in the sand as waves hiss around me. My head is pounding like I have a hangover, and it hurts to breathe, but I push myself up.

I get up into a kneeling position and an intense wave of nausea hits me, causing me to lose what little food I had eaten and heave until there's nothing left to puke up. Each heartbeat feels tight in my chest, to the point where it almost hurts, but I slowly straighten up to my full height of six feet, with the world spinning around me.

I look around, and to no surprise find myself alone on the beach.

"Where the fuck am I….?"

I look again to my left, paying attention to my surroundings more instead of looking for people. To my left is a vertical cliff roughly a hundred yards down the beach, to my right is the same, and to my front is yet another vertical cliff, with no way up.

"Shit! Now what?!" I yell to no one in particular, scuffing the sand with a soaked boot.

Frustrated, I sit down on a driftwood log and stare out at the ocean while trying to fruitlessly comb the sand out of my chestnut brown hair, all the while watching a fog bank roll across the water towards me.

Suddenly, I'm not on that beach anymore, I'm standing in what looks like a garden, in front of me is a circle of marble columns, with a small table and tea set in the center. On the other side of the table sits a red-haired girl, wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

"Come, we have much to talk about."

I warily approach, stopping roughly five feet away. "Where am I?"

"You are still on that beach, but this is the concept communication system. It is how we will talk for the most part."

That confuses the utter hell out of me.

"Wha…? So...this is all in my mind? Who are you? What the hell happened while I was unconscious!?"

She motions to the chair across from her, and I cautiously sit down, still nervously looking around.

"First off, yes, this meeting is in your mind. Secondly, I am the Fog heavy cruiser Baltimore." My eyes go wide, and I start to get up, but she motions for me to wait. "And third, you were implanted with a Fog union core. Meaning you are now one of us now." She explains as she pours a cup of tea and slides it across the table to me.

I eye the cup of tea, and take a cautious sip before setting it back down.

"This has got to be some sick dream. There's no way this is possible."

Baltimore shakes her head, and three holographic windows appear out of thin air, each of them showing a ship. "Choose one of these ships."

"Why, am I choosing how I die?"

"No, you are choosing which ship will be you. As a member of the Fog you need to choose."

I stare at her like she's crazy, but I see the determination in her eyes, and look to the three holograms.

"That small one can be crossed off. So that leaves these two."

I look at the remaining two, and read the small bit of information below each one.

 _'Alaska class-large cruiser, 3 photon turrets with three guns each, along with an assortment of aerial missiles, corrosive torpedoes, and small anti-aircraft armament.'_

I really like that one, but best look at them both before deciding.

 _'Atlanta class light cruiser, eight photon turrets with two guns each, along with aerial missiles and corrosive torpedoes. Main armament is dual purpose, capable of engaging both aerial and naval targets.'_

"This is tough, but I think the Alaska class would suit my personality better."

Baltimore taps the hologram, and it disappears, then she sips her tea and smiles at me. "I shall be there to pick you up in five minutes."

Just like that I'm back on the beach, still staring at the approaching fog bank.

"Is this really happening? I'm part of them now?" I mumble, staring at a single point in the fog. I can feel _something_ in that fog bank, I don't know how, but I know that there is a ship there, heading straight towards me.

The wall of thick fog keeps getting closer and closer until it stops roughly half a mile offshore. Finally I see it, it's a huge cruiser, and the red accents make the surrounding fog glow crimson. It sails directly towards me, finally stopping on the edge of the surf when it runs aground.

I'm completely terrified, but if what she says is true…. then I can't waste an opportunity like this!

A stairway of holographic hexagons forms, leading from the sand in front of me clear up to the bow of the ship.

I hesitantly step onto the first one, testing the stability of it before stepping up onto the next one. I finally swallow my fear and start walking faster, until my feet finally touch the deck.

"Welcome aboard."

I look up from my feet to find Baltimore sitting cross-legged on top of the #1 gun battery. "What do you think? I am impressive, yes?"

"Quite. If I may ask, what is the relationship between you and the ship?"

"The ship is I, and I am the ship. A mental model is simply more entertaining to use to interact with other ships."

I nod in understanding as the ship reverses into the fog.

"From this time forward you will be called Alaska, and you will be mentored by myself. Disobedience will be met harshly, is this understood?"

"Y-y-yes Baltimore."

"Excellent. I suggest you rest up now, because you will be going straight into training once you have been built."

"Y-yes Baltimore, h-have accommodations been made where I can sleep?"

The model shows me to a room below decks, where a simple cot sits in the corner, with nothing else inside.

I lay down, wrapping myself in the blankets to try and cover every inch possible of my cold pale skin.

The only thing I can wonder is if Skipper is alright, and if I can possibly resist the Fog once I'm out from under Baltimore's wing.

* * *

Three days pass on the open ocean, in that time Baltimore shows me how to use my sensor array, then how to activate the Concept Communication System, and finally how to actually control her ship, though that last one was a very short lesson and only allowed me to grasp the basics like maneuvering and firing of the main turrets.

Today, we arrive at Midway island, where I will be building 'myself' and getting some practice maneuvering and firing before we go back to the coast to hunt human ships.

All that's left of the small island is a single spot of land above the water, and even that is covered at high tide.

"When you get down there, find a patch of silver looking sand, and concentrate on the ship, your processor should do the rest."

"Yes ma'am."

Once she stops I create a staircase down, (which is surprisingly easy) and walk along the beach until I find what Baltimore told me about. I kneel down, placing my hand on the sand that almost looks like granules of aluminum, and picture the ship in my mind.

The sand starts to glow white, then it lifts up and a stream of it streaks through the sky before settling on a single point beside Baltimore. I watch in awe as my ship is built before my eyes, starting with the lower decks, then forming the hull, deck, superstructure, and finally the huge array of weapons.

Once it's done I create a walkway across the surface of the water, and sprint towards the gigantic warship, barely forming the platforms faster than I'm running.

I give one last step and jump, sailing through the air and landing on the number two turret. The second my bare feet touch the metal the ship seems to come alive. Black accents light up all along the entire length, and I finally get to see my crest, which looks identical to a biohazard symbol. I bring up my sensor array, command ring, and raise the anchor while I communicate with Baltimore.

"Cruiser Alaska reporting for duty."

"I hope you like your choice. Now we begin training."

"Understood, proceeding south to designated position."

While I move out I climb up to the top of the superstructure, and finally get the chance to look at the entirety of my ship.

This ship is almost as big as the USS Iowa, the three turrets sit in an identical configuration, and the sheer amount of anti-aircraft stations give me an idea for taking care of missiles and aerial torpedoes.

I'm so interested in the armament 'I' carry that I almost miss Baltimore signaling the beginning of this round of practice.

To make things easier on myself I pull up rudder, speed, and turret controls on holographic windows, which leaves them at my fingertips, so I can focus on tactics.

"Klein field active, ready for combat."

I pull hard right rudder at half speed while watching Baltimore to see what she'll do and act accordingly.

Instead of her using forethought like I expected she would, she simply sails straight towards me, blazing away with her two forward turrets.

"Fine then, if that's how you're gonna be!"

I neutralize my rudder halfway through the turn so I'm broadside to her with all three turrets able to fire. The aiming is incredibly simple; just point and shoot, no ballistics required.

"Have some of this!" I yell to no one as I simultaneously fire all three turrets. Black beams of light fire from the muzzles, and lance towards Baltimore, landing four successful hits, though her Klein field absorbs the damage.

"That sound is seriously underwhelming." I groan, disappointed at the high-pitched chime of the guns firing. I adjust my rear turret, and get ready to fire again, but Baltimore suddenly makes an audio call.

 _{That is quite enough. Match over. My Klein field is at eighty percent saturation from those hits.}_

"Really?! Wow!"

 _{Anchor beside me, since your weapons do so much damage I'll have to simply explain to you certain scenarios.}_

"Yes ma'am, en-route."

I pull half right rudder while I pivot the turrets so they're in a non threatening position.

The trip back towards the island is short at full speed, and I practice some zigzagging on the way back, a good tactic to avoid unguided torpedoes from what little I understand of naval combat.

I finally slow to a halt and drop anchor off Baltimore's starboard side before making a walkway and walking across.

"That was an impressive first battle, but you were sloppy. Your turning circle was loose, and you showed me your broadside while I was firing at you. What say you in your defense?" Baltimore criticizes me from atop the number two gun battery, her arms crossed while she stares down at me.

"Respectfully, my turning circle was loose so I could observe what you were going to do, and I showed my broadside so I could get all of my guns on target immediately, in order to properly utilize my superior armament at a range where your weapons were inaccurate."

She remains quiet while I lean against the railing, staring up at her.

Then after a solid five minutes of us staring at each other she huffs and turns away.

"Raise anchor, you will need to practice your use of corrosive torpedoes and aerial missiles."

"Actually, Baltimore if I may, I wish to upgrade my main armament to kinetic shells, I see more use in it than my current armament, seeing as how five of my main guns missed at a range of ten miles."

She turns back around and looks at me, almost studying me. "And how would this be an upgrade?"

"For one, I would be able to extend my effective range by at least double. Second I would be able to fire over obstacles such as islands or defensive walls. Third, there is the intimidation factor of the sound that the shells make while in flight, and the extended range would allow me to support from further away, thus reducing the chances of getting damaged. Lastly is the intimidation factor of the sound the guns would make when firing, it is louder than the current sound, but it is associated to humans with the sound of warfare and death."

Baltimore remains quiet for another minute, tapping her chin in thought.

"I will permit this, but I expect results."

"Yes ma'am! You won't be disappointed!" I snap a salute to her and run across the walkway to my ship, setting to immediately converting all my conventional weapons to fire an actual projectile instead of a beam of plasma.

The nine twelve inch guns were relatively easy to convert, but I also had to make a nanomaterial storage tank and a nanomaterial generator, which takes minerals from the seawater and converts them.

Once all was said and done I had the main guns capable of firing up to thirty miles and hitting within a hundred yards of a target, and while we were underway I began converting all my anti-aircraft armament and secondary batteries. While Baltimore wasn't looking I even used some of my stored nanomaterials to make a couple aircraft for the amidships catapult.

Everything is finally starting to come together, and I can't wait until I can get to fire these guns at a real target.

* * *

Two days later, we arrive off the Oregon coast, and I use my knowledge of coastal settlements to choose our first target, which will be both a rite of passage and a test for me.

The first target is the town I went tuna fishing out of, which is the least defended of them all.

I wait until dusk before approaching, and when I'm barely over the horizon I launch the small floatplane for observation and scouting and have it circle high above the town in a very lazy orbit.

Thanks to its presence I can see every single light in town from its perspective, and once I'm in range I turn broadside, slowing to a halt while I calculate the firing calculations and input them to the guns.

After double-checking the range and my firing solutions I contact Baltimore. "I'm ready when you are."

 _{You may commence the attack.}_

"Confirmed, commencing attack."

I end the call and put in a pair of earplugs as to not deafen myself, then turn to face the shoreline in the distance, looking through the bulletproof glass of the bridge.

"Lord forgive me for what I'm about to do."

I reach up to the holographic display and press my finger on a button.

Even inside the sealed bridge with earplugs, the sound of the guns makes me jump a little. The flash lights up the night for a split second, and I turn my attention to the live feed from the floatplane.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven,"

I count down the time until impact, tapping my right foot on the floor with every number.

"...Three, two, one."

Most of the shells hit off target, but one does hit a vital piece to the fishing fleet: the refueling station. It goes up in a ball of flame that mushrooms into the night sky, lighting up the entire marina in the process.

I wait another five seconds until the guns are loaded and elevated again, then I adjust the firing solutions to hit key targets.

I might be attacking my own kind, but I'm not going to mindlessly level the whole damn town.

Once the solutions are corrected I fire another salvo, counting down once again until they slam into the small drydocks, demolishing the ships inside and destroying the concrete, rendering them useless.

"Two for two, let's see if I can make it three…."

I'm already inputting the new adjustments to hit the last target before the guns are loaded. But once they are loaded they elevate to the new calculations, and I don't waste any time sending the half-ton projectiles on their way.

This target is going to be a tough nut to crack, but if at least three of the shells hit they should do the job.

My luck does one better, all nine of the shells slam into an observation bunker atop the hill above the town, blasting chunks of concrete the size of SUV's hundreds of feet into the air.

"That was a bit overkill, but if it's worth killing, it's worth overkilling. One more target…."

I'm not really concerned about the last target, but I'm going to kill it anyways, just to be safe before I do phase two.

I lower the aim of the guns a little, double-checking the calculations so I don't miss and hit some nearby houses, and press the 'fire' button once more, lighting up the moonlit deck like it's daylight for a split second.

The target area goes up like a Roman candle when the shells impact. It used to be a coastal defense battery of four fourteen inch 'disappearing' guns, now it's a flaming series of craters.

I order the floatplane back and drop anchor before contacting Baltimore.

"Requesting permission to go ashore and check the damage first hand."

 _{Granted, but if you get in trouble I'm coming in guns blazing.}_

"Understood. I'll be firing if I get in trouble."

Thankfully I've been practicing controlling the ship from a distance with Baltimore's help, so if things go south I can create a distraction, of the twelve-inch variety.

While I'm waiting for the floatplane I change my clothes using nanomaterials to a pair of black cargo pants, black T-shirt, and a black hoodie, which isn't much deviation from what I normally wore, but it should keep me incognito long enough to check out the damage I caused and maybe get something to eat, though I've noticed food isn't a necessity anymore.

The last touch to my ensemble is an Olive Drab baseball cap with my Fog sigil on it, though I'm doubtful anyone will realize what the crest means, and even if they do, what can they do?

The floatplane finally lands beside the ship five minutes after I'm done changing, and I quickly hop into the pilot's seat before giving it an order to land at the beach beside the jetty. At this time the beach should be abandoned, so I can walk into town from there and order the plane to circle the town again so I can have an eye in the sky should I need it.

The plane flies off with me in it, and upon further inspection I change the landing zone. I'll be jumping from the wing onto the jetty, since the waves are currently too big in the surf for the plane to take off again.

Everything goes according to plan on the disembarking phase, except for when I land I bang my shin up on the jagged rocks. That hurt like hell.

I cautiously look around once the floatplane has taken off, and send a quick message to Baltimore before starting my walk down the jetty.

 _On shore, moving on foot, will advise if I get in trouble._

Over the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks I can hear sirens in the distance, some near the port where the fires are burning, and some up at the coastal battery, trying to contain the fires before they detonate any more ammunition. I ignore the sirens and head towards the drydocks first, keeping off the main road, mostly using alleys and back yards to travel through town.

When I finally get to the drydocks I find them flooded, with the shattered remnants of the boats they contained scattered all over the surrounding area.

A bunch of angry yelling grabs my attention, and I quickly back into the shadows when I see the source.

"God dammit! That does it!" The ginger-haired captain yells, throwing his captain's hat to the ground at his feet. "I'm getting the Elco and sinking the next damn Fog I see!"

He vents for a few more minutes before picking up his hat and plopping it on his head. Then he stalks past me, and I step to the edge of the shadows.

"Psst! Skipper!"

He stops and wheels around, his eyes wide. "Miss, you're alive?"

"Hell yeah I'm alive, c'mere and keep your voice down!" I hiss, motioning for him to come to me.

He gives me a suspicious look but does walk over to me, his hands in his pockets.

"So what happened? When I woke up you weren't on the boat."

I shrug. "Beats the hell outta me, when I woke up I was down by Gold Beach. I just got back yesterday morning."

"Huh. Well, I've got your split of the tuna in the boat house freezer, so come pick it up whenever you can."

I motion for him to follow me, and we start walking towards the marina, where the fires still haven't died down. "Don't worry about it, I've gotta go inland for a couple days, so just sell the meat, to help you get a new boat."

"Well gee, I sure appreciate it. I'll take you out again for free next time you're in town."

I giggle a little, and almost slip up and tell him I have my own 'boat' now, but I catch myself and give him a friendly peck on the cheek. "Thanks Skipper! I'm sorry to run off on ya', but I oughta head home and pack." I start to walk off, but stop and turn back towards him. "Oh, and I wouldn't recommend going after the Fog right now. A little birdie told me a heavy cruiser and a battlecruiser showed up yesterday evening. If you don't believe me, I saw the battlecruiser firing out there, almost straight out from the jetty. I'm going to check in with my folks, then I'll meet you on the jetty in an hour, 'kay?"

"Alright….I hope you'll tell me who this 'little birdie' is so I can get updates from them too."

"I'll think about it, later!"

I run off, turning into an alleyway and disappearing from sight of him.

Since I've gotta wait until the flames die down I choose to go to the local diner, and eat a slice of their special lemon cream pie before heading to the marina and briefly checking out the damage before leaving.

Since the last two targets were military targets I can't view those, so I kill another half hour before heading to the jetty, calling my floatplane when I reach the old parking lot.

I find Skipper at the end of the jetty, a pair of night vision binoculars pressed to his face as he looks at my ship in the distance.

"Hey there Skipper, any motion on the battlecruiser?"

"Nope, but it has some very interesting markings."

"Like what?"

"Well, most big Fog ships I've ever seen have very bright and easy to see colors, but this one has black as its color. It blends in really well with the night."

I see my floatplane coming in for a landing, and step out to stand on the end of the jetty. "So you want to know who my informant is?"

He lowers the binoculars and looks at me. "Would you please tell me?"

"My informant is myself. When I disappeared the Fog gave me a union core, and that battlecruiser out there is me. I'm sorry about destroying your boat, this is how I earn their trust, once I'm no longer being followed around everywhere by a heavy cruiser I'll switch sides. But for now I've gotta do what I'm ordered. If I catch you out there I'll miss, but don't count on the heavy cruiser missing. Now, if you'll excuse me, my ride is here."

I turn around and create a walkway off the end of the jetty before walking down it, with my last step landing me on the wing of the floatplane while it idles past.

I'm climbing into the cockpit while I start a call with Baltimore.

"Mission complete, en-route back to the ship."

 _{Excellent. Two destroyers showed up while you were ashore. They'll be patrolling this area.}_

"Confirmed, what's next on the agenda?"

 _{We're heading to the Atlantic; we'll be meeting with your European colleagues.}_

"Colleagues?"

 _{There have been other humans that were implanted with a union core. I'll explain more when you get back.}_

"Roger that, I'll be back in a few minutes."

The call is ended by Baltimore, and while I'm flying towards the ship I look over my right shoulder, to find Skipper giving me a navy salute.

I take the control stick momentarily and rock the wings at him before giving control back to the autopilot.

Three minutes later the plane lands beside my ship, and I hop up onto the deck before turning it into nanomaterials, which are stored in a pod below the amidships catapult.

I use a staircase of my Klein field to climb up to the top of the superstructure, and hang my legs off the edge before raising the anchor.

Baltimore sails out of the fog bank and pulls up next to me. "Let's get on our way; we have plenty of water to cover."

"Aye aye, full speed ahead."

The ship responds to my input almost immediately, almost making me fall backwards from the sudden acceleration. Once we're moving I transfer over to Baltimore and we both sit on the number two turret while we talk.

"So how many others are there like me?"

"Fourteen in the fleet you're joining, but there are hundreds worldwide. Currently you are the largest assault ship of all of your fleet excluding the flagship."

"I see… wait, assault ship? You mean there's more than one classification of Fog ships?"

"Yes, there are assault ships, which are most common, then there are support ships such as mobile drydocks or auxiliary tankers, reconnaissance ships such as destroyer escorts or submarines, and finally there are suppression ships. I believe humans call them carriers."

"Understandable… so why are we meeting them?"

"You all will be made into an independent fleet that will have your own directives and assignments straight from the admiralty."

"Wow…"

* * *

The rest of the trip down the coast is boring. The seas were calm, no clouds overhead, and no human ships came out to fight us, even though we took a momentary break in San Francisco harbor for a couple hours. The navy looked very nervous while we were there, but they still didn't attack us, probably because they knew they didn't stand a chance against us.

After a couple hours of rest on my part we're back out on the open ocean, sailing close to shore to see if there is anyone foolish enough to attack us. Sadly there were no takers.

The only moderate excitement we got was while traversing the Panama Canal, which was a tense half-hour endeavor for each of us, as we had to slowly ease through the canal with our Klein fields up, and our weapons ready to engage any targets.

Wisely, none attack us, though inside the thin canal is where they'd have the best chance at sinking us.

We left the area at full speed once we were both through, and only then did we finally take contact, in the form of a trio of FA/18 super hornets, which made a pass at us with Mk82 unguided bombs.

"FINALLY! I've been itching to use these!" I cheer from my spot on the superstructure, taking control of the anti-aircraft positions and turning them to face the jets as they circle around.

The following cacophony of gunfire drowns out any other sound, and in the morning light the tracers light up the night sky like angry fireflies. It seems like a futile gesture until the jets get closer, then one of the five inch shells strikes home on the lead plane, and it goes up in a ball of flame that pinwheels into the water.

The other two quickly follow it when Baltimore starts using her anti-aircraft in conjunction with mine, creating a practical wall of steel and plasma.

"That was _awesome_!" I yell, still riding a bit of adrenaline from the near miss that started the attack, which showered me in water from the column when the bomb exploded.

"I will say, I am impressed with how well your armament is working." Baltimore compliments me from her ship, which is more or less directly in front of mine.

"Thank you, I'm rather satisfied with it myself, though I do see room for improvements in the anti-aircraft department, which I will set to upgrading immediately."

I mean it too, I immediately begin upgrading the current mounts, including turning the single 20mm oerlikon mounts into dual mounts, then upgrading the 40mm Bofors mounts wherever there's room.

An hour later I'm done, and we're almost around Florida.

I notice on my surface radar two blips hanging out to our east-northeast, and once we're around the peninsula they come within visual distance. They approach us from the starboard side once we turn north, following the coast.

"Destroyers Samuel B. Roberts and Turner reporting to accompany you!" The person on the lead destroyer calls out once they're close enough to be heard. She has hazel hair, and wears a pair of cutoff jeans with a plaid t-shirt that shows off her form a little too well for my liking.

"Battlecruiser Alaska and heavy cruiser Baltimore. Nice to have you along with us." I respond, thinking 'Oh great, two Fog destroyers, now I definitely won't get any peace and quiet', but it's quite the opposite, they both remain nearly silent until halfway up the coast. For some reason I start humming 'sailor's hornpipe', and Samuel B. Roberts pulls up alongside me.

"Is that a hornpipe I hear? You're one of us aren't you?"

"If by that you mean a human-Fog hybrid, then yes I am."

She looks over her shoulder at Turner, but the strawberry blonde is too busy napping to notice our exchange, so she looks back up at me with a friendly grin. "Permission to come aboard?"

The gesture is a nice change of pace from my mentor, who would board without so much as letting me know. "Granted, watch the last step, it's a doozy." I'm joking of course, and she knows it, because she starts giggling as she walks across the gap between our ships.

I climb down the superstructure and meet her down on the deck, where we shake hands before heading up to the bridge to get out of the wind.

"So where you from?" She asks, sitting across from me at the small table in the bridge.

"Oregon, I used to live right on the coast. You?"

"I'm from Louisiana. Though I moved there from Maine when I was younger."

"What about Turner?"

"She was my neighbor. So how long you been….y'know."

"Going on a week now."

She raises both eyebrows at me for a second, then shrugs and turns to look out the windows. "Call me surprised. You sure learn fast, because It's been almost a year for the two of us." She jerks a thumb towards Turner.

"Well, you'll get to see me in action here pretty soon, because we've got three guided missile cruisers coming out of the shipyards."

"Really?! How far out?!"

I pull up my command ring and check the range while launching a floatplane off the amidships catapult. "Fifty nautical miles."

"How far out can you engage?"

"Well, I can start firing at thirty five, but I can start hitting reliably at thirty in calm seas, which these are not, so probably twenty five."

"Woah wait, really? That's like… battleship ranges."

I grin, my hand hovering over a red button on the rear wall of the bridge. "You might want to get back to your little tin can and get ready."

She gives me a glare before I hit the button and the General Quarters alarm starts blaring. Then with a practiced speed she opens the hatch and rushes out, using her Klein field to create a staircase across the gap to her ship.

I have the floatplane circle me at five thousand feet, with a loose orbit.

We adjust our formation so I'm in the rear, with the two destroyers and Baltimore charging headlong at the enemy. Though the 'charge' is incredibly slow thanks to the rough seas, and I can almost keep up with them.

Finally the range closes to thirty nautical miles, and I turn broadside, bringing my guns to bear on the lead cruiser.

"Just a little further…"

Finally the range closes to twenty five nautical miles, and I fire on the lead cruiser, slinging the half-ton projectiles shrieking over my comrades heads.

The shells all miss, some falling short, while others go wide. In response the cruisers fire multiple missiles at us, which force the destroyers to take evasive maneuvers and turn their attention to shooting them down.

One missile makes it through, and hits Turner in the fantail, making her Klein field flicker and disappear.

 _{My Klein field is down; I'm laying a smoke screen and falling back.}_

 _{Roger that, deploy a decoy while you're at it.}_

Surprisingly Baltimore stays quiet, I honestly expected her to spout some 'no retreat' sort of lecture. But she just presses on, essentially leaving us to fend for ourselves while she takes on the cruisers on her own.

"Baltimore, you're getting ahead of the rest of us, they're going to start focusing on you."

She ignores me, and I can see via the floatplane that she turns broadside last-minute, preparing to bring her guns on target.

She doesn't get the chance though. Before I can fire again all three cruisers let loose with everything they have on her.

My guns elevate, but I need to calculate a new firing solution, and by the time that is done the starboard side of her ship erupts in balls of flame as at least a dozen harpoon anti-ship missiles impact, breaking through her Klein field. The torpedoes impact a few seconds later, and the heavy cruiser detonates in a flash of plasma and a gigantic blast that rattles the windows of the bridge on my ship, ten miles away.

"Roberts, Turner, lay smoke and proceed to my position. Leave Decoys to draw their attention away and I'll cover you while you run, we'll escape into the squall."

 _{Roberts copies, turning around and laying smoke.}_

 _{Turner copies, doubling smoke output.}_

I turn east and slow down as black smoke screens me from the cruisers, with Turner heading straight towards me at the source, bounding over the white-capped waves.

With my accuracy being seriously affected by the waves I decide to use my missiles for the first time. I've got more than six dozen of them hidden under the deck, so why not use them?

I made a custom targeting program for using these, but never saw much need until now. I pull up the program and link it to my surface radar, which allows me to target things even beyond visual range, and lock up the three ships, ordering an even split between sixteen missiles.

"Chew on this you assholes!" I yell as I authorize the launch, sending sixteen smoke trails streaking towards the three cruisers, with a one ton missile at the end of each one.

I watch the feed from my floatplane, and clench my fists in anger when the CIWS Gatling guns start shooting at the missiles.

The guns knock three out of the sky before they impact, blasting gigantic holes in each of the Navy ships.

"Turner, Roberts, we're in the clear. Cease smoke generation and form on me."

 _{Roberts confirms three human cruisers destroyed for one Fog cruiser destroyed.}_

"Roberts, how close are you to the human cruisers?"

 _{Approximately four miles, why?}_

"Search for any survivors in the water and extract them."

I turn back towards the smokescreen and start to sail through it as Turner pulls up alongside me, showing a little bit of fatigue.

 _{Roberts copies, searching for survivors.}_

We sail past the sinking hulk of Baltimore, and Turner looks to me. "Alaska, requesting permission to salvage nanomaterials."

I say nothing but give her a nod, and she turns to the wreckage, stopping beside it.

I'm almost to the Samuel B. Roberts when Turner catches up with me and joins in the search for any human survivors, sporting a rack of contact mines on her fantail.

"There wasn't much left to salvage." She shakes her head and shines her spotlights on the surface of the water.

We give up on the search after dark and continue on our way after Turner lays her newly acquired mines across the harbor entrance.

Sadly it's impossible to find an unoccupied cove to shelter from the storm in, so we push on through the night across the Atlantic, bound for the rendezvous point north of Great Britain.

The only rest we get during the entire trip is a two hour break between storms around two in the morning, during which I allow the others to sleep while I keep watch.

* * *

By morning I'm practically dead on my feet, but we reach the coast, and take shelter in an abandoned harbor so I can finally sleep.

I only get three hours before I'm woken up.

"Hey Alaska! Get up! The RAF has found us and isn't happy!"

I jump out of bed and stumble my way up to the bridge, using my command and sensor rings to get information and act accordingly, raising the anchor while preparing my weapons for the impending air attack.

We sail out of the harbor at full speed at noon, turning north to follow the coast as my radar warns me of a dozen aircraft inbound from the direction of London.

There's little we can do against so many aircraft, though my anti-aircraft armament is bountiful the destroyers are laughable in comparison, and most of my armament is close range, with the five inch dual-purpose guns being the only exception. Alas, all I can do is wait.


	2. Chapter 2

My radar shows a dozen planes inbound. My destroyer companions have little anti-aircraft armament, while my armament is primarily close range where the modern jets are hard to hit.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

In an effort to gain the upper hand I launch all of my floatplanes, though they are slow I can still use them to drive off any aircraft on an attack run, and if push comes to shove I can always ram the rugged planes into the RAF jets. One hundred miles until they reach us.

Then, I have a serious facedesk realization. I can just have the destroyers lay a smoke screen until the jets run low on fuel and head home!

"Roberts, Turner, lay the thickest smoke screen you can manage and stretch it out."

{Confirmed, laying smoke.}

They immediately speed up, and start belching black smoke out of their funnels, which I'm soon shrouded under.

Range to the planes is now ten miles, close enough for them to see me if not for the smoke. We proceed in relative safety until Turner contacts me.

{I am out of nanomaterials to spare, I cannot continue laying smoke.}

Sure enough, the smoke I'm under thins out, and I can see daylight through it, whereas earlier the sky was pitch black.

I'm cursing my luck when I'm interrupted by the Samuel B. Roberts.

{I got bad news, I'm out of spare nanomaterials, no more smoke screen from me either.}

My blood runs cold as I look to the sky, watching the smoke gradually thin until I'm staring at dark gray clouds.

"How far out does your plasma fizzle out for your anti-aircraft weaponry?"

Roberts slows down until she's beside me. "About a mile and a half, why?"

"Because I'm going to need you both to open up when I do, we need to rattle these guys, scare the shit outta them with sudden force, they might make mistakes."

She gives me a skeptical look before speeding up again. "Alright, let's do it!"

Right on cue I see four planes fly over the island, staying low and fast, under their bellies I can tell there's enough bombs to flatten two city blocks.

I hold fire, watching, impatiently and anxiously waiting.

They nose up at five miles, climbing steeply and suddenly before diving down at us.

"Ready!"

Range is two miles.

"Aim!"

I don't even care about preserving my hearing anymore, I just want to survive this.

"FIRE!"

If I could best describe the reaction of the first pilot it would be like a deer in the headlights moment. His plane suddenly pitches up, like he's trying to escape, but then noses in to try to hit me. But it's too late, and he flies over me without dropping any bombs. Then the port side anti-aircraft tears him to shreds, hitting one of the bombs hanging on his wing and detonating it along with the plane, sending flaming wreckage flying everywhere.

The other planes in the flight are more lucky, and do manage to hit my Klein field with half a dozen bombs, while the other bombs land short and send water flying hundreds of feet in the air.

I glance at my radar and find another four planes coming in from the stern, where I have the weakest anti-aircraft coverage.

I can only grit my teeth and watch as they streak in and pound my Klein field with bombs. If I had turned that would've given them a bigger target to hit, so I keep sailing in the same direction.

I manage to knock down two from that flight as they fly over, but I can't get a break, and four more come in from directly ahead.

This time I get frustrated and elevate my twelve inch guns, sending a salvo their way in defiance.

I missed of course, but it was enough of a scare to get them to wave off the attack.

Yet another glance at my radar gives away a group of four coming in from the ocean, trying to catch me off guard from an unexpected direction.

I use my floatplanes this time, having one ram the lead plane while two more come in with guns blazing, to my surprise one actually shoots down a jet.

Two down, two to go.

Once they're in range I open up, concentrating on one plane at a time until they're both shot down.

The final attack comes from directly above, and this one does a number on my Klein field, to the point where I don't think I can stop another attack if I tried. Thankfully all the remaining RAF planes fly off in the direction of London, and I let out a sigh of relief when they're gone.

"You alright?"

Turner pulls up alongside me, showing a bit of damage to the superstructure.

"Yeah, I'm good. I can't take another hit though."

She gives me a thumbs up and flops down on the deck, looking at some maps. "We're almost to the rendezvous point. I'm surprised we haven't seen any planes from the carrier."

A strange sound catches my attention, coming from the direction of the island. It's a hissing sound, different from the sound of the waves on the shore, different from the sound of the waves caused by my bow cutting through the water. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Until the source flies over the edge of the cliff, headed straight towards me.

"CRUISE MISSILE!" I yell, my voice laced with fear as my death races towards me.

There's no avoiding it, my turning circle is too large, and it's moving too fast.

"Not gonna happen! Not after that!"

Something blocks my view of the missile, something gray and blue. It's Turner!

The little destroyer pulls in the path of the cruise missile and takes it right in the waterline, sending metal flying everywhere when the warhead detonates.

I look on the foredeck for the girl, but she's nowhere to be found.

Then I hear something on my deck by the fantail, and look down to find her leaning against the railing, watching as the two halves of the destroyer sink. "Damn it…." She must know I'm gawking at her, because she turns to face me, flashing a grin and a salute. "Stowaway reporting for duty!"

I can't help but laugh. The way she just presents herself after nearly being blown up is damn near comical.

"Come on up to the bridge." I giggle once I somewhat regain my composure, shaking my head.

Roberts takes the lead, using her sonar to search for any mines, and a few hours later we reach the rendezvous point on the coast of Norway.

We're first greeted by a flight of F6F fighters, which fly low and slow over us before turning around and flying towards a fjord.

We follow the aircraft down the large fjord, and when we come to open water there are less ships than expected. Then I see it, a huge battleship, anchored beside a carrier.

"Yo Alaska! I'm going to anchor up here, head on down and talk to that battleship." Roberts points towards the battleship before she maneuvers around and drops anchor, with Turner on the deck with her.

I slowly sail past, standing in my usual spot atop the superstructure.

I have to carefully navigate through the anchored ships, slowly weaving through the various cruisers and destroyers.

Finally I pull up alongside the battleship and drop anchor before climbing down to the deck. Remembering my floatplanes I call them back and walk halfway across the gap before stopping and addressing the blonde girl in a black dress on the deck of the battleship.

"Ma'am, permission to come aboard?"

"Huh? Oh, of course."

I walk the remainder of the gap and finally set foot on the ship, sending a respectful salute in the direction of the model.

"Large cruiser Alaska reporting as summoned."

She holds her hand out, and I take it in a firm handshake.

"You don't need to be so formal with me, I'm not a mental model. I'm a hybrid just like everyone else here, with the exception of a couple mentors. I'm Tirpitz."

"Tirpitz? Like, the Tirpitz?"

She smiles and nods before looking to the sky as a joke. "Yes, German Bismarck class battleship that was tall-boyed by the RAF in these same fjords. I'll be our flagship."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. Would you mind helping me get acquainted with the others? I'm not exactly the best with social interaction."

"Sure! I'd be happy to help. I'm not exactly the best myself. Follow me."

We walk up onto the flight deck of the carrier, and Tirpitz looks around, confused.

"Hey Big E! Where you at?!"

One of the flight elevators raises, to reveal a muscular redhead sporting a black t-shirt and jeans. "Here, what's up?"

"New ship, this is Alaska, she's the large cruiser parked opposite of me."

I step forward, offering my hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

She takes my hand in hers, gripping it firmly for a second before letting go. "Name's Enterprise. Yorktown class aircraft carrier. I hope you've gotten some practice shooting down planes."

I nod. "Yep, I got three coming up the east coast and another six off Britain."

"Not bad, I think we'll get along great."

I smile and Tirpitz hurries me along, stopping in front of three cruisers.

"In order from left to right, we have the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, the light cruiser Leipzig, and the light cruiser Fiji. They're still asleep, so you'll have to get acquainted later."

I give a little hum to show I heard and we walk further down the fjord on a walkway made by Tirpitz.

"Here we have the heavy cruiser Helena, the light cruiser Juneau, your sister ship Guam, and you already know the two destroyers."

"Indeed I do. I owe Turner a drink first chance I get. If not for her I wouldn't be here. She pulled out in front of a cruise missile to spare me."

Turner walks out onto deck and waves at us before jogging over on a walkway.

"Hey Tirpitz, when are the auxiliaries going to get back?"

"They should be back sometime tomorrow morning, then we leave at dusk tomorrow night. Be ready."

"Yes ma'am!"

The destroyer 'captain' runs off to the Samuel B. Roberts, smiling like a lunatic before jumping off the side and into the frigid water.

I shake my head at her childish actions, though I know it's all in good fun.

I follow Tirpitz back to her ship and enjoy casual conversation among the hybrids that are awake and not busy.

The arrival of a short raven-haired girl catches me by surprise, she was quieter than most.

The only reason I notice her is because Tirpitz calls her out. "Oh, hello Fiji! Sleep well?"

Fiji sits down in a chair by Roberts, and her voice is quieter than I'm used to.

"I slept alright. It was different sleeping without the waves rocking the ship, so I had trouble falling asleep initially."

"I see….well, we had a new arrival while you were asleep. This is the large cruiser Alaska."

I reach across the table and smile. "Pleased to meet you."

I can tell she's uncomfortable with the gesture, but she still shakes my hand. "Likewise."

Tirpitz looks at her watch and groans before angrily glaring at the other ships further down the fjord that are still asleep. "Can someone go wake everyone up? I would like to get our orders out of the way."

Everyone looks around at each other, most shaking their heads.

Finally Tirpitz looks to me. "I guess you get the joy of waking everyone up. Sorry."

I get nervous for a minute, then I get an idea. "I've actually got an easy way of doing just that, though it's a tad bit loud."

She raises an eyebrow at me, and I motion to the number three gun turret on my ship as the center of the three guns elevates. In response Tirpitz snorts dismissively. "You can try but it's not going to be loud enough."

A quick glance at Roberts shows she's plugging her ears, and I giggle a little.

"Rise and shine everyone~!"

I fire the gun, and it rockets its shell off to god knows where with a terrific blast that echoes through the fjord. Enterprise, who was leaning back on the rear two feet of her chair falls over in surprise, while Tirpitz and Fiji both jump.

Once the reverberation of the blast fades away Tirpitz sits down again and raises an eyebrow in my direction. "You changed your guns to the traditional armament instead of keeping the Fog weapons?"

"Yep! It's got more advantages over Fog weaponry, and the disadvantages are minimal."

"I see…. I might follow suit, but that's a conversation for later." She looks down the fjord at the other ships, and waves over the newly awakened hybrids.

The first, and by far the most grouchy, is the girl from the Prinz Eugen.

"What's the purpose of all that racket? Some of us are exhausted."

Tirpitz waits for the other girls to show up, and invites them all to sit at the table with a wave of her hand towards some empty seats. "First off, we have received our directive. Secondly, we have a new arrival to introduce." She looks to me, and I give an 'after you' gesture. "Our directive is as follows. We will be moving along the coastlines of varying and random areas, and we will be destroying ship manufacturing and logistical facilities, including drydocks, refueling stations, and even destroying marinas. We leave for the eastern coast of North America tomorrow at dusk." She slowly looks around the table, and gets several nods in return. "This next bit is not official, but keep it in mind. Let's try to keep civilian casualties to a minimum. We may be part of the Fog now but we all started out as humans, and if one of us gets sunk and captured they'll be more likely to show us mercy if we don't kill innocents."

I grin a little, that's what I was hoping she'd say. Finally Tirpitz motions to a tall blonde girl wearing a navy uniform, though she's obviously too young to have joined. "Guam, stand up please."

The hybrid stands up, holding her captain's hat under one arm.

"Guam, this new girl is your sister ship. Get to know each other because you two will be our biggest output of anti-aircraft fire aside from myself, Enterprise, and Eugen. This is Alaska, she's an Alaska class large cruiser, and likely going to be part of the raiders."

I stand up, sending a respectful nod towards Guam before turning my attention to the remainder of the group.

"Hello everyone, it's a pleasure to meet you all."

The grouchy German girl next to me stands up and introduces herself. "I am Prinz Eugen, Admiral Hipper class heavy cruiser. Please just call me Eugen."

She sits down and a rowdy looking redhead in a green long sleeve and jeans stands up.

"Light cruiser Leipzig, Leipzig class cruiser, pleasure to meet you."

Across the table from Leipzig the next hybrid stands up.

"I am Helena, a Baltimore class heavy cruiser."

Then the next girl stands up, looking very familiar to Helena, if only a little younger.

"I'm Juneau, a Cleveland class light cruiser. Nice to meet you."

Finally Guam stands up and introduces herself, though I already know her name and ship class.

Once introductions are done Tirpitz quiets everyone.

"Alaska brought up a good idea to me. She has abandoned the photon cannons that we all currently use, and is using actual shells. Alaska, would you care to elaborate on the pros and cons?"

"Of course. I'll start with the pros. For one is the increase in range. Then you also have the fact that I can fire over obstacles. There's also the morale effect of the humans not knowing where the shells are going to land, combined with the sound the shells make in flight. Moving onto the cons. Firing rate is slower, calculations for firing are slightly more difficult than just point and shoot, the shells aren't the most accurate things in the world at the outer limits of the range, and it's difficult to hit anything at long range in rough seas."

I sit down while everyone absorbs the information, and Eugen speaks up first.

"Well, I'm changing over."

There's a collective agreement to change over, and I end up lending some of my stockpiled nanomaterials to Tirpitz so she can finish her refit. By the time the sun sets everyone has upgraded their armament.

I don't bother to stay up after Tirpitz finishes her refit, I go to bed, and sleep like a baby the entire night.

Come morning I feel a little better than I did the previous day, but I'm still tired.

Regardless I get up and head up on deck in my sleepwear, which isn't much at all, to find that the auxiliary ships along with a few more destroyers and cruisers showed up in the middle of the night. Including the Fog hybrid cruisers Ajax and Sydney, along with some ships that catch my attention.

Thankfully Tirpitz is awake, so I ask her about the large LST troop transports.

"Oh, those are used to transport our fleet of PT boats in heavy seas."

"Wait, we have PT boats?"

"Of course! The hybrids are all a little crazy but they're good at what they do."

I look down the fjord to find a pair of PT boats slowly cruising down towards us, both have black camouflage that matches their lighting. Tirpitz notices them too and waves hello.

"Speaking of which, here comes the first night patrol, they should be loading up soon."

Over at the auxiliaries Turner is patiently waiting while her new destroyer is formed from nanomaterials. Though I notice this time the ship has received a larger contingent of anti-aircraft armament.

The PT boats cruise up to the front of the LST's, and wait for the front of the ships to open before being hauled inside with the help of a clamp.

The hybrids walk out onto the deck a few minutes later and begin talking with Turner as the fleet begins to wake up.

I get to meet with all the new arrivals throughout the day, even getting as far as enjoying a friendly artillery fire competition against the town-class light cruiser Belfast once she finished with her refit. We quickly became friends when I found out she was from Oregon, but had been visiting family in Maine when she was caught fishing in the Atlantic by a Fog submarine.

A quick nap and a poker game later, it's time for the fleet to move out. Several destroyers head out first while all the cruisers get underway, forming a protective perimeter around Enterprise and Tirpitz, with the auxiliary transport ships in the rear of the convoy, protected by more cruisers and a small handful of destroyers.

The second we leave the safety of the fjords I get buffeted by high winds and tall waves. The weather is nothing like what it was in the sheltered area we were anchored in.

I focus on the task at hand; protecting the convoy. But Fiji, Ajax, Sydney, and Belfast are so relaxed in the rough weather that they casually converse over tea, and I catch a glimpse of Fiji dozing off, though her ship maintains perfect positioning and doesn't stray from its designated position a single time.

Halfway through the night we're finally blessed with calm seas and clear skies, giving a beautiful look at the stars.

I must fall asleep during the break, because I'm awoken several hours later when we near the eastern seaboard of the US.

Thankfully, the seas remain calm enough to begin operations immediately, and Tirpitz contacts us all using the concept comms system.

It's different than it was the first time I used it with Baltimore, this time it looks like a briefing room, with a large projector screen in front of several rows of chairs.

Once we're all seated Tirpitz begins briefing us.

"The targets for today are a pair of drydocks on the Hudson River. They are heavily guarded by at least six guided missile cruisers and a ton of aircraft."

I hear Enterprise groan behind me, eliciting a laugh from everyone before Tirpitz motions for us to quiet down. "Yes I know, sorry Enterprise, but you're not participating in this one. The raiding party will consist of the cruisers Eugen, Alaska, Juneau, and Belfast. They'll be accompanied by four destroyers, which will be Roberts, Ross, Prichett, and Turner. The entire PT boat fleet will be deployed this time." Several cheers of joy come from the back of the room. "I won't be participating in this raid. I'm not going to show them everything we have now, but in the future once a few new ships catch up with us we'll be attacking in full force. Any questions?"

I raise my hand, and she points at me.

"What's our rules of engagement regarding structures such as bridges?"

"Good question. Try to avoid destroying any bridges, but if they get in the way of our primary objective don't hesitate to destroy them. Any other questions?"

Nobody else raises their hand.

"Great! Remember to use the fog for cover, and don't let any human cruisers get close to our cruisers. Alaska is in charge of this raid. Dismissed!"

I'm suddenly back on my bridge, and I pull ahead of the convoy, being joined along the way by the other ships, along with the dozen PT boats.

I order all the cruisers with me to launch their scout plane if they've got one before we get close, and before we get into position to fire I notice Juneau looks incredibly nervous, so I cross over to her ship and lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Just scared. This is my first time in combat against humans."

"Hey, trust me, I'm scared too. Fear is natural. Stick close by and we'll both get outta this."

"O-okay….this is also really the only time I've ever gone anywhere without my sister…."

"Really? Who's your sister?"

"Helena. Before all this happened her name was Tanya."

"And yours?"

She looks out towards the shore, though it's not visible due to the thick fog.

"Sanya."

"That's a nice name. Here, I'll tell you mine, but remember to use my new name in front of the others."

I lean in and whisper it into her ear, just barely loud enough for her to hear, then I straighten up and check my map.

"All cruisers, hard to port. All stop."

I say goodbye to Sanya for now and cross back over to my ship, turning the large cruiser ninety degrees to port before halting my momentum.

Thanks to my spotter plane I can easily find our target, and train my guns on it while the PT boats slowly move into position near the jetty, ready to go through once I give the order. The destroyers remain in the thickest part of the fog bank with the cruisers, ready to go out and challenge any human cruisers that come close enough.

{All PT boats in position, awaiting your 'go' Alaska.}

"All cruisers sound off for readiness to fire."

{Eugen ready to fire.}

{Juneau ready to fire.}

{Belfast ready to fire.}

"Alaska ready to fire. All cruisers…..Fire."


	3. Chapter 3

**[A/N]: I'm obviously not going to make y'all wait very long for the next chapter. That's the entire point of this story remodel!**

 **Having said that, just a friendly reminder that this is a cooperative project with Touhoufanatic. His fic 'Daemons Of the Fog' parallels this one for the most part. Some scenes will be almost the same, while others will give you better insight on the characters if you read both perspectives of them.**

 **Having gotten that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Several months after that first engagement as a fleet Tirpitz decides to break up the fleet, sending a small, fast fleet to the West coast while they continue to kick the dead horse that is the East coast human navy.

It's still an impressive fleet though. Overall we have one carrier, two battlecruisers, four heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, and six destroyers, plus auxiliaries and the dozen or so PT boats. Enterprise acts as the flagship, with myself and Guam being her second and third in command respectively.

We're heading up by Vancouver Island for some R&R when Enterprise receives a new order straight from the Admiralty, and more specifically, the Fog battleship Montana.

"Alright people, here's the deal. We're changing plans." She explains, standing up front of the Concept Communications briefing room.

"Again?!" "Aw come on!" "Where are we hitting this time?!"

Enterprise puts her hands out to quiet us, and once everyone quiets down she gets to explaining.

"We've received orders to head north past Vancouver Island and rendezvous with the Fog cruiser Portland and a couple of hybrids under her command. They will be joining us for the immediate future."

An eerie silence descends on the room, and everyone looks at each other nervously.

Finally after a few seconds Enterprise clears up what everyone's thinking. "I know our last Fog liaison wasn't the best at _not_ treating us like shit, but I've been assured that Portland is different. I'll be contacting her and the hybrids under her command as soon as we're done here. Any questions?"

"When are we gonna get to relax?" One of the PT boat hybrids asks from the back of the room.

Enterprise sighs. "I don't know. Maybe a couple more weeks."

"God damn it." "I'm gettin' tired of this shit." "We need a break!"

"Hey! Trust me, I know. We all want some downtime, myself included. It all depends on what Portland wants us to do. I'll ask her, and if she says it's okay then we'll take a break. Are there any other questions?"

This time everyone stays quiet, and Enterprise nods in satisfaction. "Good. Dismissed!"

Without any further warning I'm back inside my wheelhouse, seated in a chair by the front windows.

Making sure to keep my relative position in comparison to Enterprise and Oakland I get comfortable, reclining the chair before closing my tired eyes and falling asleep.

* * *

Several hours later I wake up to three cruisers on the horizon to the north, with Vancouver Island visible to the east, though only by the lights of various fishing settlements at the water's edge.

 _{Alaska, you up?}_ Enterprise asks via an audio call.

"Yeah I'm up. That them to the north?"

 _{Yep. We're gonna head a little further north, and then we'll have some R &R. I want you and Guam ready to intercept any possible ships coming our way after the rest of us anchor.}_

"Got it. Any chance I could head to the nearest settlement and get some refreshments?"

 _{Make it quick, don't get caught.}_

"Yes ma'am."

I swivel my still-reclined chair off to the side and prepare my floatplane while leaving the wheelhouse. For my stealthy plan to work I make myself a parachute and put it on while also using some nanomaterials to change my clothes to something more suited for the climate.

The plan is simple really. I'll fly above the town, bail out into the woods, and mix into the population. I'll buy the refreshments, then disappear as quickly as I'd shown up.

* * *

Thankfully, it seems like my plane wasn't noticed, and I manage to parachute into the forest near the edge of town, just over the little hill. It was a given that I'd get caught in the trees, but I turn the parachute into a bag more akin to a ratty-looking hiking pack and make myself a staircase to get down.

Once I get to the forest floor I hunker down behind a log for a few minutes, listening and watching for any sign that anyone was nearby, not like they'd have any reason to be, but it pays to be cautious.

Once I'm sure the surrounding area is clear I set out through the dark forest.

Thanks to my improved eyesight it's like walking at night during a full moon, though it's only a Waning Crescent. I quickly reach the edge of town, and after wandering around for a bit I manage to find what looks like a general store.

Some bells on the door jingle when I walk in, and a person who I guess is the owner looks up from tying a leader on a long line.

"Howdy! I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"Well, it's my first time being here sir. Just passin' through. I was wondering if you had any soda pop in stock."

He looks thoughtful for a minute before nodding slowly. "Yep… I reckon I do. Whatcha willing to pay for it?"

"How does… fifty for all of it sound?"

He grins and I can immediately know he probably paid a quarter of that, but I still get the better deal, because the money in my pocket is made of nanomaterials. "You got yourself a deal little lady."

He loads the soda into my bag, then moves behind the counter before I hand him two twenties and a ten. They're almost flawless, and the only way he could possibly tell if they're fake is if he holds them up to the light.

Which is of course the first thing he does.

 _'Fuck.'_

He holds the first bill up to the light from the ceiling and I take my chance while he's distracted. I grab the bag and throw it on one shoulder while sprinting out the door, running as fast as my legs will carry me. Behind me I hear him yell, but I don't dare stop, not when people up here have every reason to kill if they catch someone stealing.

I almost reach the end of the street, and gunshots ring out behind me as the store owner fires a pistol at me. The gunshots attract the attention of the other nearby households, and before I know it there's a half dozen people chasing me as I run through the town towards the forest.

The more houses I pass the more people join in the chase, both old and young alike, and eventually I get headed off by some men in their mid-late twenties with Gaffs and fishing spears. This redirects me back into the village, and even more people head me off.

It's not long before I realize what's going on, and my suspicions are only confirmed when I get headed off again and turn the corner, finding the docks and the water's edge are the only place to run.

 _'Shit! The bastards herded me like cattle!'_

I run out onto the end of the dock and drop my bag, wheeling around to get ready for a fight.

Then I finally notice all of the boats are missing, and look over my shoulder to find them some twenty feet off the dock, occupied by fishermen with an assortment of bludgeons, gaffs, spears, and a couple with firearms.

"Enterprise, I've been had. I could _really_ use some help right now." I mumble nervously while looking back down the dock at the slowly advancing mob.

 _{I told you not to get caught! Ugh, fine. I've got fighters on the way.}_

"I'm sorry; they usually don't check the money!" I hiss back before the shop owner steps forward and raises an old revolver, firing three times at me.

At such close range there's no chance of physically reacting in time, so I raise enough of a Klein field to protect my head and chest, watching the bullets stop dead a few feet away from me.

"She's a Fog! Kill her!" Someone yells, and the mob on the dock surges forward before I use my klein field to knock them all back.

Some fall into the water while others are sent sprawling onto the deck, and just when I think I've given myself some breathing room I hear a metallic click behind me.

I raise a Klein field behind me protecting only my vitals just as several pistol slugs occupy the same space and stop cold. I allow myself a small grin before another pair of loud blasts catch me off guard. The unprotected lower half of my body erupts in pain and I scream as my legs give out, dropping me onto the dock.

"Hahaaah! Shotgun, _bitch_!" One of the fishermen in the boats yells, taunting me as I try to get back up, to no avail.

"Let's toy with this bitch a little before we kill 'er!" Someone else yells before another gunshot rings out and a bullet tears into my achilles tendon. I scream out in pain again, but it only seems to encourage them.

"Would ya' look at that! She's putting an act on for us!"

I crawl over to the bag and put it on my right shoulder, using my left arm to pull myself along towards the end of the dock as I feel Enterprise's planes approaching.

"Crawling away isn't going to save you!" Another fisherman roars with laughter before a bullet tears into my left elbow. The joint folds in on itself and I faceplant onto the deck, laying there with my forehead on the salty-smelling wood as the planes angle in for an attack run.

All the fishermen laugh at me, shooting near me to scare me into moving so they can get another shot at something unimportant. I shield myself with my Klein Field from every bullet that risks hitting something important and wait.

Soon enough the laughter dies out, replaced by the angry snarling of engines as the planes dive in.

"Incoming!" One of them yells, causing the rest to scatter before the fighters strafe the area around me, filling the now-empty boats with holes after their owners jumped into the water.

The planes roar overhead and circle around for another pass as another sound makes itself known: a low-pitched humming of Fog engines.

Then all hell breaks loose as a PT boat uses its dual .50 caliber machine guns to rake the beach as it pulls up to the dock, the cacophony almost drowning out the clump of boots on the dock as a pair of hands grab me by the armpits.

"Christ, Enterprise she's fucked up!" One of the PT hybrids yells while dragging me onto the boat. The second my feet leave the dock I can feel the boat start to accelerate. The backpack is pulled off my shoulder and laid aside before she rolls me over so I'm on my back, looking up at her.

"Lightning?" I groan, using the girl's nickname.

"Yeah it's me. Hang in there, I'm gonna take you to Hope."

"Hope…? Who's Hope?"

"The best hybrid medical ship on this side of the Panama Canal. She'll have you fixed up in no time."


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting a Demon

**[A/N]: Here's chapter four! Finally things start to get interesting! Part** **way through this chapter is when Touhoufanatic's fic finally meets with mine.**

 **Hayane234: Thanks for pointing out that issue. It's been fixed now. :)**

 **As always, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey keep talking to me!" The platinum blonde hybrid yells as we zip across the ocean surface.

"Lightning, would it kill you to shut up for a bit? I'm -nngh- trying to stop the bleeding." I groan back, trying to focus and direct nanomaterials to temporarily plug the bullet holes to at least slow the bleeding.

"Sorry. We're almost there though! I can see her ship!"

I lift my head up and try to see the ship she's talking about, but due to my position on the deck aft of the wheelhouse I can't really see anything fore of us.

Roughly five minutes later we decelerate and pull up alongside what looks like a Fog version of a passenger liner.

"Hope! I've got a cruiser here who needs you!" Lightning yells as she pounds on the side of the ship like you'd pound on a door.

"So I see. You can stop beating on my hull now!" A voice snaps from the railing. I move my head and find a surprisingly old gray-haired woman standing there next to a hoist that is lowering a stretcher.

"We're way past the Golden Hour. But she's still conscious."

"What's the extent of her injuries?"

"I've been shot, multiple times. Nothing vital though." I respond, mildly irritated at being treated like I'm not here.

The woman jumps down and the two of them gently lower me onto the stretcher.

"My apologies dear. We'll go straight into surgery and you'll be on the path to recovery before sunrise." Hope assures me with a smile before reaching into the pocket of her labcoat and pulling out a syringe. She deftly stabs the needle into the fold of my right elbow before injecting whatever is in the syringe.

It takes only a few seconds for the effects to set in, and before I know it my entire body is completely numb. Every muscle in my body starts to relax, and my eyelids start to get heavier and heavier until I can't keep them open.

Then, sleep sets in, and everything goes blank.

* * *

 _Psssshhhh_

 _'...God damn… I hurt all over.'_

 _Psssshhhh_

 _'What the hell is that sound?'_

 _Psssshhhh_

I open my eyes to find the simple answer to my question. A medical oxygen mask sits over my mouth and nose, and a machine off to my right side pumps air through it every few seconds. Slowly I reach up with my right arm and pull it off, dropping it off the side of the hospital bed.

Taking a deep breath of the cool air I perform what I guess could be called a self-diagnostic, checking where my ship is in relation to me and what condition it's in.

To my surprise it's only roughly a mile away, anchored and on standby. I can feel ships all around me but can't identify what they are due to overlapping radar signatures.

I try to flex my toes, but find that I can't feel my legs at all. I can't feel my left arm either, and start to lift my head before a door opens to my right.

"Don't bother. Everything's still there I assure you. I have good news and bad news." Hope says as she enters the long room, quickly pulling up a wooden chair beside my bed and sitting down.

"L-let's hear the good news first." I mumble nervously.

"Good news is that you are one very lucky lady. You avoided being paralyzed by a few millimeters. You should be able to walk around by the end of the week once your muscle damage fully heals." She explains, picking the mask up off the floor and turning off the breathing machine.

"And the bad news?" I squeak out, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"The bad news is that you'll likely struggle to ever have children. One of your ovaries was completely destroyed."

I sigh in relief, grinning before I start giggling. "I'm glad you're thinking that far ahead Doc, because I sure as hell ain't."

"Mind your language young lady. But keep in mind you're around the age where you can start thinking about those sort of things."

I scowl at her for a second before softening my expression and closing my eyes. "Yeah, I suppose I am. Geez, it seems like just yesterday I was graduating from high school."

"That's how it goes." Hope chuckles lightly.

"Those were the good days. I guess these times are alright, but I wish I could play softball with my friends from school. Maybe when I get back I might be able to convince the flagship to let everyone play a game or two ashore." I contentedly sigh, turning my head so I'm looking at the ceiling.

"You used to play softball? What position?"

"More often than not I was a pitcher. I was first base a couple times though." I respond, starting to feel more and more homesick as the conversation goes on.

Then, I get a reprieve when the door opens again and a girl with chestnut hair in a strangely colored Navy uniform steps in.

"How's she doing Hope?"

"She's conscious at least. Alaska, meet Intrepid."

I raise my right arm in a half-assed salute and do my best to smile sincerely. "Pleasure to meet you."

She enthusiastically returns the salute and grabs another chair from beside the door before plopping it down on my left side and sitting down backwards in it. "So I'd imagine you've got one hell of a story. Care to tell it?"

I stare at her in surprise for a moment before smiling and looking back up at the ceiling. "Ain't much to tell. I tried to steal some stuff so the fleet could have some goodies during R 'n' R, but I got caught, and in order to try to keep from tiring myself out I only made a big enough Klein Field to protect my vitals. I didn't count on them firing buckshot at me."

"Hmmm… How long you been a hybrid?" Intrepid asks.

"Since late August. A few months."

"Yeah… heheh. You learn from this?" Intrepid chuckles darkly.

"...Why are you here exactly? Are you just trying to piss me off or something?" I snarl, ready to haul off and deck the woman, regardless of my current condition. Sure there are some mildly irritating people in the fleet, but this girl sounds like she's _trying_ to rile me up.

"What? I'm just asking you some questi-"

"Intrepid. It would be best if you stopped. Now." Hope warns after looking down at my right hand, which is clenched in a white-knuckled fist.

Intrepid looks at my fist and pales slightly. "Err… sorry. I'm used to teasing my friends… I-I didn't mean anything by it."

I take a deep breath and relax, loosening my fist. "It's alright, just… everyone in my fleet doesn't really tease each other like that. Everything's always so tense that the last time someone tried… well, you essentially just experienced it, minus the fistfight and scramble to break up the fight. Sorry about being so hostile. These last few months have been…" I trail off, hoping to find the right word.

"Trying?" Intrepid guesses.

"Yeah. We've been doing nothing but raids and attacks for the past five weeks. One right after another. Each frigate we engage I can't help but wonder if my Dad's aboard it."

After I mention my Dad I start to think about the rest of my family, and more specifically my younger sister.

"Plus… being around all these warships all the time reminds me of my sister. She's a huge nerd when it comes to naval warfare."

"How big of a nerd is she?"

"Well… Because of all the stuff she spouted all the time I know you're an Essex-class aircraft carrier. Hope, you're a Comfort-class hospital ship. She was always talking about something she found out."

Intrepid snorts in amusement and straightens up. "Well. I'll leave you to get better then."

"Alrighty. I'm sorry for snapping at you like that."

"It's fine. I was the one who was the antagonist." Intrepid says as she stands up and heads towards the exit. "Maybe we can talk again later once you're up and about."

"Sounds good."

Intrepid heads out the door and closes it behind her before Hope leans forward in her chair.

"I recommend you sleep as much as possible. While you're asleep the nanomaterials in your bloodstream work overtime to repair any injuries. Having said that, you also might want to get in touch with your fleet and let them know you'll be okay."

I smile at her and do my best to nod. "Thanks Hope. I'll be sure to do both."

"Just doing my job. Now if you can please try to turn onto your right side. I need to take a reading of your vitals, and it's easier to do it the old-fashioned way."

"A-alright. I'm probably going to need some help." I groan with effort while trying to move my stiff, numb limbs.

"That's what I'm here for dear. Your legs and left arm are in protective casts while they heal. I'm currently using nanomaterials to block your pain receptors, hence why they're numb." Hope explains as she stands up and leans over me, grabbing my left shoulder and left hip. "Ready? One, two, three!"

On her signal I try to roll to my right, and with her assistance I manage to get onto my side, using my right arm to brace myself on the bed while she crosses around to the left side of the hospital bed.

She's just pulling up the back of my shirt when a voice yells from somewhere through the open door on the far end of the large medical bay. "HOPE! Where the fuck are you?!"

I hear Hope growl in irritation before she yells back, her response ringing in my ears. "LANGUAGE YOUNG LADY!"

Hope snaps her fingers and grumbles under her breath while pulling my shirt the rest of the way up, then a surprisingly warm stethoscope is placed against my back between my shoulder blades. "Hold your breath please."

I suck in a gulp of air and hold my breath, feeling my heartbeat in my chest for roughly thirty seconds before she taps me on the shoulder as a signal that I can exhale. "Take deep breaths now please."

I happily comply, taking drawn out breaths as I can start to hear footsteps echoing down the hall at the far end.

"Ah, there you are!" A feminine voice calls out from behind me, getting progressively louder. "We just blew up a bunch of russian ships. got some Vodka off them and got a girl who's about fourteen too she seems to be in a… oh, who's this?"

 _'Well this is a lovely first impression. I_ probably _look like a cripple!'_

"She's currently my patient. What do you need Scylla?" Hope sighs before I feel her tug at the top of the bandages covering my lower back. Scylla starts rambling on about a recent mission, and I eventually tune her out until she quiets down.

 _'This girl has gotta be a destroyer, she's certainly got the energy for it. Didn't Dani say something about a destroyer with that name…?'_

"My name's Alaska. I'll be around here for a bit while I recover." I introduce myself before Scylla gets going again. "Care to move around to where I can see you?"

"Yeah sure, unless Hope shoves me out?" The response sounds more like a question.

"That is alright, but do not let her drink any of that! I don't want it influencing her bodies repairs." Hope sighs, evidently worried. "Where is the girl you mentioned?"

"Aft end of my deck. I figured you'd want to look her over before I moved her anymore."

"Very well, I'm done here for now so I'll go take a look at her. do not do anything stupid, Alaska has been through a lot just recently and her body is weak." Hope warns Scylla, helping me roll over so I'm laying on my back again.

Hope's steps fade away, and I can hear Scylla saunter towards me, eventually resting against the wall. The brunette looks like she's been through some shit, between the faded burn marks on the left side of her face and collar, and the robotic looking left arm that includes part of her left shoulder. I'd wager she has some stories she probably doesn't like to tell. She's wearing a loose pair of black pants and a black tank top, but even with them loose it was clear too she was thin, almost worryingly so. Her expression was strange as well, and her eyes, uncomfortable. "So Alaska class Heavy Cruiser eh? Nice to meet you. Name's Scylla, Minotaur class light cruiser!" She introduces herself as she drinks from the bottle in her right hand.

"Large Cruiser actually, essentially a fancy name for a battlecruiser, but I digress. It's nice to meet you too." I hold my hand out and she shakes it rather firmly. Upon Scylla withdrawing her hand I only partially pull mine back before pointing questioningly at the bottle of vodka in her hand. "May I?"

Scylla looks at the bottle, then at the doorway. "Sure, long as Hope doesn't find out."

"I'll keep it a secret, but I honestly could care less. I've been dry ever since I joined the Fog." I take the bottle and partially sit up, just enough so I can press it to my lips and take a quick swig, relishing the taste as it burns all the way down my throat. "Paaah. That's the spot."

"Glad you like it. It's pretty good considering we swiped it from sailors." Scylla says as she crosses her arms. "So, mind if I ask why you're in a half body cast?"

"Not at all. I tried to be conservative in the use of my Klein Field and got blasted with a shotgun. Then the fishermen used my limbs as target practice." I pass the bottle back to her. "Lesson learned. Always have a backup plan for the backup plan."

"Oh, that sounds painful. How'd they know you were Fog anyway?" Scylla asks as she takes the bottle and knocks back another swig.

"I got caught trying to essentially shoplift. Everyone in the fleet wanted drinks and sweets, so I went ashore and got some."

"Ah that explains it. I'd just have killed him and taken what i needed. Not like he'd be missed anyway." Scylla shrugs.

 _'Woah… Okay, play along.'_ "Looking back on it now… That's probably what I should've done."

"You live and you learn, right? Anyway, what village was it? The one on the tip of vancouver island, or more north?"

"Uhhh… New Port Hardy. It was the nearest place at the time. I figured it'd be a cinch."

"Ah that makes sense. I wonder if Brisky would let me test that new Napalm missile on it then to test the effects?" Scylla wonders out loud, a disturbing grin covering her lips, and her eyes suddenly looking... off.

"H-hold on a second. That's not necessary. I'd bet that Enterprise has already turned the place into a parking lot. She'd been dying to try out launching bombers, and she's the one who bailed me out."

Scylla visibly scowls at that. " Darn, was looking to try out that Corrosion cluster warhead Mobile and I devised on the way back. Ah, Mobile's one of our fleets light cruisers, a Cleveland."

 _'Is this chick brainwashed or something?! Those are humans she's killing!'_

I hum an acknowledgement while making a mental note to ask Hope something later.

"Something wrong? Or just thinking?"

"We've always just hit infrastructure… I mean, if people get caught in it I've always felt kinda bad but…" I trail off, trying to put my words together to make a point. Scylla's response comes before I can finish my sentence.

"Oh I see. You don't want to hurt humans, you have no reason to hate them!" She says with a strangely odd smile, her robotic hand's fingers twitching slightly.

"I… what? W-w-we were never told to specifically hurt or kill people… W-we were always assigned industrial targets." I stutter, suddenly wishing I could move around so I could get the hell away from this woman.

"That's fine." Scylla mutters as she takes a swig from the bottle and then looks at her twitching arm "Stop that!" her fingers stop twitching. "If you don't want to hit humans if your orders don't say to, that's fine. Nothing wrong with it eh?"

"S-Scylla you're kinda freaking me out a bit here." I squeak, trying to inch away from her a little.

Scylla looks at me for a moment, her expression softening before becoming ever so slightly sad. "Oh, I did it again didn't I? Damn, Molotov even told me about that yesterday too. Sorry about that, I've got some . . . minor problems stemming from my past, so I'm a little. . . unbalanced sometimes."

"You wanna talk about it?" I ask quietly, wary of her now that she's showed a more… Sociopathic side.

"Naw, you look a little startled as it is, last thing I want is you to pity and be afraid of me at the same time when we're supposed to all be on the same side here, right?" Scylla says with a smile as she stretches her arms up into the air. "Got anything else to ask? Otherwise i'll head back out and see how Hope is doing, leave you to get rid of my crazy."

"N-no I'll be fine… thanks though."

"Okay, I'll go see how Hope's doing. I'm kind of curious as to what the new girl will be. Hopefully a sub, we could use one that doesn't end every sentence with a query or confirmation! See ya!" Scylla mutters and exclaims as he walks out, finishing off her bottle of Vodka.

 _'Hopefully she's just a crazy drunk… she seems pretty nice otherwise. Hell… She's kinda cute too…'_

 _{Knock knock, anyone home?}_

"Oh, hey Guam. What's up?"

 _{Everyone's worried about you. Almost nobody is enjoying themselves.}_

"Oh for fuck sake- get everyone on concept comms in five minutes."

 _{Got it.}_

I pinch the bridge of my nose and groan, knowing that I'm going to be bombarded with questions the second I get in the concept communications room.

"Alaska, I figured i'd come by to check on you again. Is everything alright? Any aches or pains that are appearing?" Hope asks as she comes into the room, looking tired, but still with a smile on her face.

"I'm fine thanks. But ummm…"

"Let me guess, Scylla?" Hope asked as she sat down on the chair beside the bed.

"Yeah… is she… y'know, completely _there_? Or is she just a crazy drunk?"

"I do not believe she can get drunk actually. That was her as she is normally." Hope admitted with a sigh.

"Could've fooled me… she reminds me of my uncle when he gets smashed. Nuttier than a fruitcake."

"She is, and has had a very unfortunate childhood. Surviving a burning building, getting picked on in school, to the point of getting her arm and shoulder blade shattered, and then being used as a glorified slave by her only remaining family after her father passed. Her brain chemistry was a bit unbalanced as well, and still is." Hope says with a sigh. "She is honest, but very clearly a broken person, noticeable to anyone who looks hard enough."

"Do you think… if she had someone to sort of 'lean on' do you think she might… y'know… stabilize?"

"That is a difficult question to answer. She's been used and abused, but because her arm was replaced and her wounds healed, she feels indebted to the Fog. Or more clearly, she likes the situation she is in and considered everyone in the Fog to be allies and possibly friends."

I consider an idea briefly before shaking the idea from my head. "Alright… could you please get my comrades off my case? They're not utilizing their time off because they're too worried about me."

"Of course, would you like me to inform them of your situation or tell them with you to, ah excuse me for one moment." Hope says as she turns around and places a hand over her left ear. She nods her head a couple times, then turns back around letting her hand fall back down. "As I was saying, would you like me to inform them, or tell them all alongside you?"

"I'm not one to leave people to do stuff by themselves, so alongside."

"Very well. I am, admittedly, not very skilled with using the Concept Comms, so I will need to piggyback on your signal once you contact them." Hope explains as she moves her seat closer and places a hand on mine.

"Alright. Give me a minute to shut everyone up when we get in."

"Of course, I shall not relieve you of the honor." Hope says with a smirk.

"Gee, thanks." I grumble sarcastically before patching into concept comms, suddenly finding myself sitting in a wheelchair in a diner. Seconds later I'm bombarded with questions so quickly from so many people that I can't make out what anyone is saying.

"EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN!" I yell over the ruckus.

Hope smacks me upside the head lightly, "Language!"

"It worked didn't it?" I snip in her direction before turning my attention to everyone standing in front of me. "This is Hope, the medical expert who's taking care of me. Listen to what she has to say and then I'm gonna have a talk with y'all."

"Thank you Alaska, though I would ask to please control your language in the future so I am not forced to bandage your mouth in the future." Hope says with a smile as she looks to everyone assembled. "Greetings, I know you all have many questions about your friends current status, so I will be as brief as possible. Alaska has sustained severe injury, but it is no longer life threatening. The casts you see will come off in a couple days, and she will be fully healed within a week if all goes well and she is not subjected to undue duress. I should also mention, that the flagship of my own fleet, has opened the idea of your fleet joining us for the duration of Alaska's repairs, so that you do not hurt yourselves with worry, and so she can heal in a happier environment."

I look at Hope to make sure she's done speaking before I wave forward Enterprise and Guam. "What's the ETA of our Liaison?"

"Two hours at most. They had a run-in with a guided missile cruiser and several land batteries." Guam explains before Enterprise smacks me upside the head.

"I'm not letting you do anymore shore excursions without someone going with you! God damn it woman you could have been killed!"

"I'm well aware, thank you Flagship. Hit me a little harder and my wounds might just magically heal!"

"Yes, and I may get a second patient if they do not heal correctly!" Hope says while smiling darkly.

"E, Guam. What do you think of this idea? I'm all for it, but we do this as a group or not at all."

The two look at each other for only a second before looking back to me. "I think you just answered for us. We do this as a fleet or not at all." Enterprise confirms.

Hope smiles at this."I shall inform our flagship to expect you all then. I cannot guarantee not being put to some work, but it will only be once or twice, and most likely short range patrols. You are coming as guests to assist a patient after all."

Enterprise scoffs and sticks a hip out. "We'll do whatever you need us for. We're not freeloaders."

"Careful with what you wish for," Hope said as she grinned down at Alaska. "We haven't had full fleet drills with our newest light cruiser yet!"

My breath catches in my throat and I cough before nodding. "Y-yeah. Umm… anything but being on the receiving end of her wrath, please."

Enterprise raises an eyebrow at me and I flash her my usual _'later'_ look, which is also caught by Guam. "Umm… alright…?"

"Excellent. Roughly how long until your fleet would arrive at our location?" Hope asks calmly.

"From where we're anchored… eighteen hours at minimum, not counting the time that we'll have to wait for our Fog liaison and her two hybrids." Enterprise responds, checking a holographic panel containing a map.

"I see. I will report to our flagship you shall arrive within nineteen to twenty seven hours then. That should be a sufficient amount of time if it is required." Hope says as she looks down at Alaska then to the rest. "Is there anything you would like to ask me before I depart then?"

"There is one thing… erm… actually no. We're good." Enterprise responds before stowing the panel.

"Are you sure? You appear to have a question if nothing else?" Hope pushes though she sounds calm and understanding while doing so.

"I uh… I had a cousin that disappeared in your guys' AO… and I was wondering if she's… erm… y'know, _alive_."

"I will need to know her name. While hybrids do go by our newly given names, their original names are in a database." Hope replies with a smile, clearly willing to check.

"Cassie. Cassie Everett."

"Let me see." Hope says as a pair or orange data rings spring away from her, spinning casually. A second later they disappear and she opens her eyes. " You are in luck it appears. Essex Class Carrier, Intrepid is what she goes by now. She acts as our Flagship's second in command even."

"Oh thank God…" Enterprise sighs in relief, flopping down in a nearby booth. "They found her boat smashed up at the cliff north of town and I thought she drowned…"

"She's fine. All I had to mend in the first place was a small fracture on her wrist." Hope assures.

"Awesome. Thank you so much! Erm… if you'll excuse us now, we have to brief the fleet."

"Of course. I shall take my leave, and shall see you all in person tomorrow." Hope says with a bow before disappearing, along with the feeling of her hand on mine.

I whistle through my fingers, grabbing the attention of everyone so they can form a school circle around myself, Enterprise, and Guam.

"Alright, listen up, because Enterprise is going to explain the plan, and then you'll be dismissed." I inform them.

Once everyone's full attention is on us Enterprise starts the briefing. "Here's the deal. We'll all still be able to relax, but we'll be in the presence of another fleet so I expect you all to be on your best behavior. This means no faking torpedo runs on friendly ships -Elco's I'm looking at you- and no practicing AA without prior approval. If you want to practice then get my approval and go somewhere else. Understand?!"

Everyone yells out a motivated acknowledgement, and Enterprise nods in approval. "Good! Dismissed!"

With the blink of an eye I'm back in my hospital bed. I find the chair that Hope was in empty, and though I'd like to talk to her some more, my heavy eyelids tell me I have other plans. I don't bother fighting it, and instead gladly give in to sleep, glad for a slight reprieve from my immobile state.


	5. Chapter 5: family and friends

**[A/N]: Here's chapter five! I don't really have anything to say this time,**

 **Feel free to leave a review, please, I'm getting nervous about the lack of feedback.**

 **As previously stated in the last couple chapters, this is a cooperative project with Touhoufanatic and his fic "Daemons Of the Fog". I'd wager most of you have already seen his fic, but in the event that you haven't, go check it out.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Rise and shine Alaska! It's time for your checkup!" Hope cheers as she claps, turning on the lights inside the medical bay. The bright lights give me an almost instant headache before they dim.

"Fucking hell…" I grumble sleepily, squinting and blinking several times while my eyes get accustomed to the light. "Just as the dream was getting good too…"

"Language!" Hope nearly growls as she walks in.

"Yeah yeah, I know. I'm not even starting to scratch the surface of my colorful vocabulary, so lay off me." I yawn and rub my eyes with my good arm. "Deja vu."

"I will not. No one uses such language in my presence, not even the flagship and Intrepid." Hope says with a huff. "Why deja vu?"

"Because it feels like I'm talking to my mother."

"Did you get your mouth from her?" Hope asks curiously.

"Meh, it was a collaborative effort between my mother, my uncle, and my dad."

"How lucky for you and them to have such language be a common thing then." Hope says as she pulls out some tools.

"Well, a sailor, a tailor, and a mechanic… I was doomed from the start."

"Ah, impressive. Who was what if you do not mind me asking?"

"Dad's in the Navy. Last time I saw him he'd just gotten command of a guided missile destroyer. My uncle was a Diesel mechanic, and Mom is a tailor."

"Sounds like a good way to learn viable skills, as well as respect and honesty. Too bad all armed forces, whether they be air, naval or army have a habit of swearing worse than truckers."

"Oh, and I can't forget about Grandpa. That old geezer taught me everything I know about metal machining, along with probably a solid quarter of my vocabulary."

"Ah, I see. What did he specialize in?"

"He used to build aircraft propeller shafts on the milling machine."

"Hmmm, my husband was the same, though he built heavy duty construction equipment primarily. A mountain of man, but as gentle as a spring breeze."

"Grandpa was kinda stout, so he'd usually have to use a step stool so he could see what he was doing. He was amazing at his job though." I stretch my good arm off to one side before looking at her sort through her tools. "So what's first?"

"First off I'll check your nanomaterials, make sure they are still working to heal you. Then your bone strength. If you've healed sufficiently, you'll be able to lose at least one cast, and may be able to walk with crutches instead of a wheelchair."

"Awesome. Let's get this show on the road."

"Of course. Tell me. Did you tell your friends about your talk yesterday?" Hope asks as she sticks a thin needle in my arm.

"Oh hell… I knew I was forgetting something…"

Hope chuckles slightly as she takes the syringe out. "Hoping to warn them were we?"

"Something like that. I just think she's someone to be kinda… wary about."

"Scylla is a visible worry, you may be more worried about others in our fleet though. Mobile and her sister Topeka, or our flagship Brisky for example."

"I'm worried about us all as a whole. Human, hybrid, or otherwise. Killing people and destroying their homes… it's just not who I am. I mean, I was a girl scout during high school."

" A noble pastime." Hope mutters as she sets the Syringe in some sort of machine, then pulls a machine off the wall and holds it above. "Do any of the girls in your fleet think differently?"

"I… no, not really… we follow the orders to a T and that's it. We've… come to blows a few times over collateral damage. Scylla though… she treats killing people like going down to see when the next softball game is."

"Yes, Mobile and Topeka are similar, though not as, Gung ho about it. They also keep far quieter about it. From what I've seen, it is often based upon how lucky or unlucky people were before being found by the fog. I'd say about half of our fleet is reluctant to kill, while the other half is either understanding about the necessity, or completely willing. It makes my job a bit difficult when I have to consider their mental states."

"Mobile sounds alot like Oakland from my fleet. She doesn't talk about it, but I've seen her level a hospital with a full broadside before."

"Oh dear. I hope it was empty."

"I don't think it was… but when I confronted her about it she said that she didn't remember doing it."

"Hm, possibly a case of an amnesiatic conscious, or simply being embarrassed or afraid of admitting it." Hope says as she moves the machine over my head down to my torso.

"I don't know, but she's not allowed on raids anymore. She stays with Enterprise as an escort."

"I see. That sounds similar to Mobile, except for she would not deny doing something, but won't say anything about it unless directly asked, I suppose it's why she and Scylla hit it off, talking about more efficient ways to kill or destroy. Tell me, what is the worst thing that has ever happened to you that made you think less of an individual or group?" Hope asks as she moves the machine over my legs.

"We got robbed right before my twenty-first birthday. They stole everything from the television to the fuckin' toaster. I came home from going to the store and the front door was kicked in. Broad daylight robbery and nobody in the neighborhood saw _anything_."

"My, awfully audacious. . . . . Mobile and Topeka, who you will likely meet later today. They were raised in New Santa Maria, in the slums by their parents who lost their home to a businessman who conned an entire neighborhood out of their homes, to tear them down and build a resort. Because of one man's greed they were subjected to the worst our kind had to offer in the lowest recesses of society. They watched their parents die in a gang war, trying to protect them. Mobile tried to get other children to safety as well, but in the end, only the two of them survived, and the gang war continues even now."

"I… I guess I can sort of understand why she's so open to the idea then."

"It is no different for Scylla or a few others in a way. The world is not always such a nice place, and often those that are hurt by it have done nothing to deserve it. Do you know what happened to Scylla? Did she tell you?"

"No, and I didn't want to ask in case she was sensitive about it."

"She's not, in fact she considered it proof to why she can think how she does. You are aware that a couple decades ago some places tried to introduce gene therapy to keep childbirths high, yes?"

"Uhh… yeah. We covered it briefly in health class."

"That is good then. Her mother used them as well, but only used some, not all of them that were supposed to be used. This created a chemical and hormonal imbalance in her body. It made her growth slightly strange."

"Strange…? But… she has such a good figure!"

"No, she doesn't truly. She lost her father when young to an arson, and was forced to move in with her divorced mother her mother treated her like shit, making her do all the homes chores, and giving her only a mattress, and pocket change to buy herself food. She wasn't allowed to eat food her mother bought for herself. She was put to the brink of starvation and malnutrition for years as I understand it. That is why she is so thin."

"But you said the hormonal imbalance made her growth weird, not malnutrition."

"Yes. Her growth was stunted, making her grow tall, but not getting the usual curves a girl would as they grow. Couple with the malnutrition her body had difficulty maturing. This led to her getting picked on by many people. And some even went so far as to throw a cinderblock at her. It shattered her shoulder instantly, and then they broke her arm and a leg. She was in the hospital for over a month if she recalls it correctly."

"I see…" I taper off, unsure of what to say next.

"Her mother refused to pay for treatment, leading to her arms being healed incorrectly, giving her shoulder a hunch a her arm a permanent bend. And all she did was complain about her not being home to do the chores. Scylla told me that point was when she began gathering funds to strike out on her own, and get as far away from his mother as possible."

"His? What?" I ask.

"Hmm?"

"You said his mother, not her mother."

"Oh, excuse me. That was a fraudulent slip of the tongue." Hope replies almost a little too quickly.

"Come on Hope, I have a younger sister who I lived with my entire life. I know when somebody is trying to cover something up."

"It's not my right to tell." She snaps, brooking no further argument about it.

* * *

Hope spends the next half hour performing various tests on me. She tests my nanomaterials, then the bone and muscle density in my left elbow. Upon finishing the latter she smiles and hums in approval before moving to my lower back. A few minutes later there's another approving hum before she moves to my legs.

"...Mmhmmm… well, you'd do well to stay in bed. However, your elbow and left leg are healed, so I would see no problem in using crutches if you're feeling antsy."

"Yes please." I almost immediately respond. "I need to move. I can't stand lying here."

Hope chuckles and snaps her fingers before heading to a storage cabinet. I start feeling pins and needles in my arm and left leg as my nerves presumably wake up. Then begins the trial and error of trying to get the crutches adjusted to the correct size. Finally after roughly another ten minutes I'm up and moving around, albeit slowly as to not mess up my still-healing back.

"Right then. Follow me. Your fleet should be here soon." Hope says before leaving the medical room. I follow along to the best of my abilities, as moving through a ship with crutches is about as difficult as one would think. I stumble a few times getting through bulkheads, but otherwise the journey to the deck is short, and I start hobbling my way over to Intrepid, letting Hope fall in line behind me so she doesn't accidentally leave me in the dust.

* * *

On the flight deck stands the entirety of Hope's fleet, lined up off to the side and watching as my fleet approaches from the southeast. I see Intrepid standing on the far end with a cold looking woman beside her. Closer to me though, I recognize Scylla, who's talking to girls on each side of her while looking in my direction.

I stumble and turn my attention back to where I'm placing my crutches while muttering curses under my breath, praying Hope doesn't hear me.

Eventually I find a good enough spot to stand off to the side and settle on my crutches, watching the ships all anchor roughly two miles away. A few minutes later I can see the dark specks of a pair of PT boats speed out from behind Helena and make a beeline towards us, the distant specks eventually getting bigger and bigger until it's easy to identify the eighty foot vessels.

They weave through the sparse formation of ships and slow down to pull up alongside the carrier.

First person up the holoplate staircase is a woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a red sundress with a large-brimmed straw hat. Behind her is Enterprise, then Guam. Eventually most of everyone files up the staircase and lines the deck, lining up on the opposite side of the flight deck from Hope's fleet. I recognize every single one of them aside from a young redhead woman, and the woman in the sundress.

As the last of the fleet reaches the top of the stairs I recognize a third new face to the fleet, except the face isn't new to me, and neither is the look in her eyes as she looks around at the other ships in awe.

"No fuckin' way." I mutter while staring in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Language!" Hope hisses at me, but I ignore her and move my crutches forward so I can swing my legs forward. Still staring at the girl I slowly move towards her, the sound of my crutches hitting the deck followed by my foot landing still audible above the sound of everyone's talking.

 _Clack,_

 _Pat._

 _Clack,_

 _Pat._

 _Clack,_

 _Pat._

She finally looks my way and freezes in her tracks, staring wide-eyed at me in the same way that I'm probably staring at her.

My mini-me.

My little nerd.

My little sister.

We both hold our positions and stare at each other for a few seconds before Turner bumps into her, and the motion seems to jump-start her. She jogs over to me and gently hugs me, burying her face in my left shoulder. I drop my left crutch and hug her back, resting my chin atop her head while she sobs into my shoulder.

She tries to compose words through her sobs, but I shush her and throw my other crutch to the side, balancing on my good leg while I coddle her.

A minute or so later I hear a woman's voice speak out from my right. "I am Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya, Flagship of the north pacific Patrol and Acquisition fleet. Which of you leads your fleet?"

I look over to find Intrepid and the newly introduced woman standing together,

Enterprise steps forward and sends a salute their way before introducing herself. "I am the suppression vessel Enterprise. I am the acting flagship of this fleet, and this is our Fog liaison Portland."

Portland steps forward and curtsies, a big smile on her face. "Hello Oktyabrskaya, it's been a while."

I manage to pry my sister off of me, and she collects my crutches for me while I watch the interaction.

"Indeed it has. I was not aware you were acting as a simple liaison, instead of a fleet flagship."

"Oh, that? I figured I'd put my mentor plugin to use. It's been very laid-back work."

"Very well. you understand what will be expected of you and those you are mentoring then whilst here?"

"Yes I'm well aware. However, the ships I was mentoring are no longer under my jurisdiction. Their training is done and I have handed them off to Enterprise here for their fleet assignment. I'm simply along for the fun of it!"

The flagship turns her attention to Enterprise, who stands a little straighter. "Same question."

"We will do everything asked of us to the best of our abilities ma'am!"

"Very well. In respect to the reason you are here, this day shall be free to all ships. you are free to move your ships among our own and speak with whomever you wish. Report to me at 0900 hours tomorrow morning so we may decide upon patrol schedules for our combined fleet." The Fog woman takes a step away before pausing. "If you have any questions, ask my second in command, Intrepid."

With her orders given she starts to walk away, dissolving into nanomaterials that float on the air like powdered aluminum, floating off towards a Soviet-era battleship. Everyone watches her leave, and after a few moments I hear Oakland speak up.

"What a hardass."

"Eh, it could be worse," Intrepid shrugs. "I just soured her mood a bit with trying to see if I could get her and Gato drunk last night. It didn't work. Essex class carrier, Intrepid, pleasure to meet you both!"

Enterprise strides forward and picks up Intrepid in a bear hug, squeezing her tightly before setting her back down. "Come on Cass, you already know me!"

"Erm… I do? How the hell do you know my human name?"

Enterprise slumps her shoulders. "...You seriously don't remember me…?"

"...No?"

"Oh for the love of Pete- It's me, Emily! Your cousin?!"

"...Which side of the family…?"

Enterprise pinches the bridge of her nose. "Your mother's side. My Mom was Kyrstyn."

It finally seems to click in Intrepid's head as I approach, having retrieved my crutches.

"OH! I remember you now!" Intrepid cheers, glomping Enterprise.

I continue towards them, my sister almost glued to my side, though giving me enough room to use my crutches. "Right then! I believe introductions are in order!"

The two carriers pick themselves up and look between themselves. "Uhh… who should start?"

"Is it not proper human etiquette for the hosts to introduce themselves first?" Portland asks, making a solid point.

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Intrepid says as she suddenly smiles. "Alright, everyone down to the lobby!"

The entirety of Brisky's fleet break rank and all jog over to the conning tower, filing through the bulkhead and out of sight while a majority of my fleet just looks confused. Some people get the idea and slowly move that way, waiting for Enterprise's official order to do so, but others practically have 'uh, what?' Scrawled on their faces as they look between each other.

"Ah, right sorry. I have a Lobby, a sitting and gathering room inside. It'll be more comfortable to meet and greet there than standing on my flight deck. Don't worry, there are a lot of chairs!" Intrepid explains.

"Alright! You heard the lady, fall in!" Enterprise yells, waving an arm towards the open bulkhead while looping the other over Intrepid's shoulder.

I wait while everyone else files through, heading down a staircase to a well-lit area. Eventually everyone gets through, leaving just myself, my sister, and Hope on the deck while I try to get through the opening, being mindful of both my back and my leg.

"Hnng! God... damn things…!" I groan while halfway through the bulkhead. Hope starts to yell at me until my crutch slides out from underneath me, dumping me down the stairwell.

"Watch out!" Someone calls out while I tumble ass over teakettle down the stairs. My final landing is softer than I thought it would be, and I open my eyes to find a slight tanned face and scarlet red eyes staring back.

"Ouch… thanks for the save." I groan as pain flares up in my lower back.

"You okay?" The crimson-eyed girl asks while she sets me down against the doorframe.

"I've seen better days, but I'll be fine." 'Eventually'

"Well, if you say so. Cmon, everyone will have sat down already and be waiting on us."

I slowly turn to look up the stairs, watching my sister scramble down them with crutches in hand, and Hope not far behind her.

"You alright Sis?!"

"Yeah I'm fine. Thankfully this isn't the first time I've fallen down the stairs." I chuckle, each laugh making my lower back throb.

"I'll check you over once we get you seated, just to be sure." Hope says as she comes down the stairs.

"Sounds good, just help me up!"

* * *

Eventually with the help of my sister and Hope I get back on my crutches and manage to hobble my sorry ass into the lobby, where a seat is cleared for me by Scylla. I ease down into the chair and turn sideways in it, allowing Hope to take a peek under the bandages on my back while I listen to everyone.

"Alright, now that everyone is here and comfortable we can begin!" Intrepid exclaims from her own chair. "For those of you from Enterprise's fleet that didn't hear, my name's Intrepid, her cousin, and the Second in command of this fleet! In order we have Roe and her sister Hammann, both Sims class destroyers. Leningrad class destroyer Baku, and Ognevoy class destroyer Vlastny who is our youngest member. Then we have Molotov, a Kirov Class Cruiser, Mobile and her sister Topeka, Cleveland Class Cruisers. Pensacola class Cruiser Salt lake city, just call her Lake." Intrepid took a breath for a moment then continued. "Aurora here is a Pallada class cruiser, while Chervona Ukraina is a Admiral Nakhimov class cruiser and takes care of the destroyer girls. And finally, our newest member to the fleet, Scylla, Minotaur class light cruiser! Oh, and the other Fog in our fleet, Gato, is around as well. somewhere."

Enterprise stands up and looks once around the room before addressing everyone. "Alright! As you all have heard I'm the fleet's flagship and carrier Enterprise. You all also know Alaska to some degree I hope, as she's the main reason we're here. Alaska and Guam are my second and third in command respectively." She points to both of us and takes a sip from a glass of what looks like soda. "The new battlecruiser to the fleet is Samoa. Our contingent of heavy cruisers are a bunch of clowns but they get the job done. Helena and Fall River are both Baltimore-class. Astoria over there in the corner is a New Orleans-class, and Augusta is a Northampton-class." Once again pointing at everyone she lists them off, getting nods or waves from some.

"The light cruisers are a lovely group too. Cheyenne… Cheyenne where are you?- oh there you are. Cheyenne is a Fargo-class, and she's the mother of the group so to speak. Savannah over there by Guam is a Brooklyn-class, and Juneau is over there hiding behind Helena. She's a Juneau-class cruiser and is also Helena's sister. Oakland is a modified Atlanta-class, and Pasadena is a Cleveland-class, as well as the new girl." After another drink of soda again she's ready to go again.

"Our destroyers will always have a place in my heart. Probably right next to the dead tissue from every heart attack they've given me. Thank you all for sitting together for once. From left to right we have Hailey, La Vallette, Healy, and Taylor. They're all Fletcher-class. Turner is a Gearing-class, and Samuel B. Roberts is a destroyer escort with a long ass class name. Just call her Roberts and I can guarantee she won't yell at you."

"Hey! You got us mixed up again!" Healy and Hailey yell at Enterprise.

"Whoops, oh well. Moving on we have Victoria and Atascosa. Those two are our nanomaterial tankers, and they help us remain combat-ready. Then we have our three LST's, which carry our PT boats during really shitty weather. And last but not least we have our PT boats. I'm not gonna list you guys off because it's too much work. The squadron leader is over there with the cowboy hat. She's nicknamed Lightning, and if electricity starts flying just make sure you're as far away from her as possible."

Having finished her spiel Enterprise looks around and smiles. "Now that I've successfully bored you all half to death, I'm done."

* * *

Everyone starts conversing while alcohol is passed around. I sit patiently and wait until Hope has my bandages wrapped back up. "You don't have any new injuries, but I would recommend heading back to bed soon."

"Thanks Hope. Will do."

Hope saunters off towards the exit as I pivot around to sit in the chair correctly, and Samoa scoots a chair up next to me, looking very nervous in the large crowd.

"So how's Mom and Dad?" I inquire just as Enterprise brings me a glass of soda from the machine in the far corner.

"Last I saw them they were both alright, Dad has been running himself ragged trying to find the Fog though. Mom's been searching high and low trying to find you."

"I kinda figured she would be…" I sigh. "So how's the fleet been treating you since you arrived?"

"Everyone's been nice, and Guam has been helping me learn the more advanced stuff but I'm still trying to figure out the firing solutions…" She keeps talking but I stop paying attention to her words. Her body language is twitchy, and much more nervous than she was the last time I saw her. Her eyes dart around nervously, and though I have some suspicions of what the reason is, they're only solidified when a loud bang resonates through the room and she freezes stiff instead of looking for the source.

Seconds pass, turning into a minute, but she remains frozen. Tears start to roll down her cheeks and I can tell from her hazed-over eyes that she isn't completely mentally there.

"Hey." I try to get her attention, but she continues to stare off into space. I even wave my hand in front of her face, to no avail. I look around the room, and find the person I want standing a few yards away talking to Molotov. "Mobile! C'mere for a sec please!"

She looks over at me in confusion until she sees Samoa, then she quickly scoots past Molotov and weaves through the crowd before kneeling down next to my sister.

"What's going on with her?" I ask, still uncertain, but I have my suspicions, hence why I looked for Mobile specifically.

"She's having some sort of flashback, similar to Shellshock. How long has she been like this?"

"Ever since that loud noise."

"This happens to Topeka sometimes, though she usually pulls out a knife when she freezes.. You have to carefully comfort her until you can figure out what happened, or until it passes."

I get up from my chair without the use of my crutches and hop over to sit on the arm of her chair before putting my arm over her shoulder. She flinches at the contact but otherwise remains zoned-out.

"Hey, Dani. It's alright, I'm here." I mutter quietly into her ear, looking to Mobile to make sure I'm doing everything correctly. Upon receiving a nod of approval I start rubbing small circles in Samoa's back, and she finally snaps out of it, burying her face in my chest while sobbing.

"Hey it's alright, I'm not going anywhere. Just let it all out." I keep muttering words of assurance for several minutes until she finally stops sobbing, though she still clings to me as if her life depends on it. I look up at Mobile and mouth the words "Get Hope", hoping she'll understand. Thankfully she nods once and jumps up, running out of the lobby.

* * *

A minute of so later Mobile jogs back in with Hope hot on her heels. The older woman kneels down beside us, and I lean into her ear. "Do you think you could sedate her for a little bit? She's really jumpy and I don't want to cause another episode."

Hope looks at her for a moment and lightly shakes her head. "Sedation does not work well on Hybrids unless it's a full sedation, and that would last roughly twelve hours at least... That would be less than perfect here. I can give her something to calm her down however if you prefer? Could give you a chance to talk to her about it as well, and that often helps."

"That works. So long as she's not like… y'know. _This_." I flick my eyes in the direction of my cowering sister and Hope nods, pulling a small wooden case out of the pocket of her labcoat. She puts it on the floor and extracts a syringe from inside, followed shortly thereafter by a small glass vial containing a clear liquid. I continue to comfort my sister while the doctor measures out the correct dosage and taps the needle to get the air bubbles out.

"Alright. Samoa I'm going to give you something to help you calm down, okay?" Hope talks to my sister using a gentle voice, shuffling around so she's in Samoa's line of sight. "You'll just feel a little poke and in a few minutes you'll be feeling much better."

"O-o-okay." She stammers back softly, sounding absolutely terrified. Hope gently takes her left arm and pulls it out straight, slipping the needle in and injecting the serum before Samoa even acknowledges the needle jabbing her.

"There! You'll start to feel better in a couple minutes." Hope chirps happily as she starts to put the syringe back in the case as deftly as she had taken it out.

"Hey Alaska, is Samoa okay?" I hear a familiar voice and look up to find Guam walking up to us.

"I don't know. She froze up after that loud noise. Mobile said she was having a flashback. Hope just gave her something to calm her down so hopefully we'll find out soo-"

"So, what broke?" Another familiar voice interrupts me, and I look past Guam to see Scylla and Topeka approaching. I glare at Scylla for being so rude and continue to rub circles in Samoa's back.

"As I was saying before you interrupted me, we don't know. The loud noise scared the hell out of her and she froze up. Mobile says she was having some sort of flashback."

"Oh, so shellshock basically. That's always fun," She says sarcastically, as if understanding.

"I believe the proper term is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Regardless, unless it happened right after I joined the Fog then there shouldn't be anything that would be the cause of this." I try to keep my voice low for my sister's sake.

"It may have occurred when she was, enlisted. Sometimes the fog that catch people are, less than gentle," Hope says sourly.

"N-no… Sis is right…" A quiet mumble sounds from my sister, though she sounds like she's trying not to remember. "I-it was right after she disappeared."

"What was?" I ask, moving so I can hear her better.

"I-I was on break a few days after you disappeared and… I bent over to grab my wallet from under the counter… something out front exploded…" She shudders, but continues. "When I got up everyone in the front of the store was…"

"It's alright, you don't need to say anymore." I mutter, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

"There was blood everywhere…" Samoa clenches her eyes shut as tears start again.

"Boom, mashed people." Scylla suddenly chuckles.

"Alright that's _enough_ of that!" Chernova declares as she storms over and grabs Scylla by the ear. "You may be new, but I will not have you harassing someone when they are having difficulty speaking about something as it is. You're coming this way, _now!_ " She declares as she drags Scylla away while the latter complains about her ear.

" . . .Go with her, before you say something too." Mobile mentions to Topeka with a glare.

"What- but I. . . . I'll just go get scarce." She says as she notices Mobile's glare and leaves.

Hope watches them leave and sighs before muttering to herself. "Looks like i need to do some more psych evaluations again. I apologize for that."

"F-forty six people," My sister hugs me and buries her face in my shoulder again, once again turned into a sobbing mess. "And I walked away without a scratch!"

I look around to find most of the nearby people listening in, and grit my teeth before muttering in my sister's ear. "Let's head over to my ship, alright?"

She gives me a nod before getting up. I grab my crutches and start to follow her, glaring across the lobby at Scylla before I open up a communications channel with her long enough to say one thing.

"You and I are going to have a talk later."


	6. Chapter 6: A fight with family

**[A/N]: I've got nothing to say. I hope you enjoy, sorry for the wait.**

* * *

The night that Enterprise and everyone else arrived I didn't bother joining in the drinking or the partying. I was too busy helping my sister through her mental problems.

As it turned out, the explosion that mentally scarred my precious sister was a car bomb set by a terrorist organization from the central states.

Being how they were from the central states I was furious at them acting on the coast, but then Danielle explained that there had been a month long string of attacks in the same area, which to me indicates there's a hideout somewhere in the area.

I've always drawn the line at intentionally killing humans. To me it makes us no better than the Fog. However, to me terrorists have never counted as humans. They're scum. The lowest of the low. And if there's one thing that Dad taught me, it's that hurting someone's family is nothing short of a declaration of war.

* * *

Come morning I manage to pry my clingy sister off of me and change my nanomaterial clothes from pajamas to my usual black cargo jeans and a black short sleeve. I grab my crutches and haul myself out of bed, fixing my bedhead into a ponytail which I thread through the back of my baseball cap.

Finally looking presentable I hobble out the door on the side of my wheelhouse and cross over the quarter mile of open water to Intrepid's ship. I find nobody up on deck, and I don't quite want to try going down to the lobby again, so I just make my way over to the rows of anti-aircraft guns lining the sides of the ship and pace fore and aft while on my crutches, just running thoughts through my mind.

"Morning."

I stop my pacing and look up to find Scylla standing on the flight deck a few feet away.

"Oh, it's you. Hi." I grumble, turning to face the railing.

"Don't sound so excited to see me," She snarks with a smile, moving closer while rolling her shoulders and stretching her arms with a yawn.. "You're the one who said you wanted to talk to me."

"After what you said to my sister yesterday I don't want to hear your sass. You seem to me like a loose cannon, I want to trust you, but you haven't provided any reason for me to trust you."

"Understandable, but why should I worry about earning your trust when we're already on the same side?"

"Because I am a motherfucking Alaska-class battlecruiser. My ship is designed to chase down fast ships and slaughter them like dogs on a highway. You struck a low blow yesterday teasing my sister like that. If you want my help during battle how do I know that if I help you then you won't leave me for dead?"

"You don't. But I guess you'll just have to trust me and see what happens. Plus I don't think you'll have any trouble keeping up with me." She gives that half-crazed grin of hers. "Or you could quit pulling your punches and not worry about killing them. Then you won't have to keep up and you'd have a better kill count!"

"Is that how you look at this?! This isn't a fucking videogame!" I snarl angrily.

"Sure it is! Besides, they have it coming anyway! What, too afraid to kill your enemies _kitty_?"

"You… Raaagh!" Before I make any stupid decisions I consider my own condition, and while I'd normally haul off and knock someone on their ass for calling me a name like that, I'm in no condition to fight. I turn around and head off down the flight deck, noticing both Intrepid and Enterprise standing twenty or so yards away.

I move straight up to Enterprise and do my best to stand at attention, giving her a salute to show I mean business. "Flagship Enterprise, requesting permission to go out on maneuvers and firing exercises."

Enterprise looks to Intrepid, who simply shrugs and moves past me. "Your call. C'mon Scylla, we're waking everyone up and informing them of our first combined fleet action."

"Oh sweet! We going on a joint kill mission!?" The cruiser hybrid asks excitedly, causing me to grip the handles of my crutches so hard that my knuckles start popping.

I wait for them to get a little further away before I turn my full attention to Enterprise. "That girl is crazier than Oakland is. There's no way I'm working with her on a mission."

"That's not my call to make, but I'll keep it in mind. As for your request… how're you feeling? Do you feel like you can without hurting yourself?"

"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have asked. I need to blow off some steam because otherwise shit's gonna go down between me and her. And in my current condition, that's a fistfight I'll probably lose."

"Alright fine, I'll take your word for it but I want you to take Samoa with you. Just take her along to get her away from everyone here." Enterprise pauses and her expression softens. "By the way… how is she? Did you find out why she froze up and broke down like that?"

"Yeah. It was a car bomb by a terrorist organization. She told me there's been a ton of attacks since then, and I'm thinking there's probably a hideout that they're operating out of. I had an idea but… I'd need your help, and it wouldn't hurt to have the crazies help too."

"Let me guess, you want to find this hideout and destroy it."

"Yeah. We both know I don't like deliberately killing people but…"

"Terrorists sit in an entirely different category. Say no more, I'm in."

I sigh in relief, relaxing my stature and slumping on my crutches. "Thank you. I know you've been wanting to do another Doolittle-style raid, so we'll probably do that."

"Okay. I'm definitely not Hornet, but I do love doing those. We'll keep it on the down-low for a while until we get done planning. Now get going, I may end up putting you in the mock battle we'll be having at noon."

"Oh… okay. See you in a little while." I give her a smile and head off, crossing over the water to my ship.

I find my sister still asleep on the gigantic bed in the wheelhouse. She's curled up in the fetal position, her hair covering her eyes while she quietly snores away on top of the covers. I feel kinda bad waking her up when she looks so cute, but she'll thank me later.

I gently poke her in the ribs to wake her up, and she groans before lifting her head and brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Hmmm?"

"Rise and shine. You and I are going out on maneuvers. Get your ship moving and follow me."

"Weighing anchor." She yawns, bringing up a holographic panel and tapping a button. "What time is it…?"

"Quarter after nine. I let you sleep in."

"Oh, thank you. Pasadena always gets me up at five, no matter how long I've been sleeping."

"Well I do it because you're my sister, and you deserve to get spoiled someti-"

 _{Alaska wait! Sorry but I actually need your help with this. You'll get to shoot stuff in a little bit.}_ Enterprise calls me suddenly.

"Seriously E? I've already got the anchor up and the guns loaded!"

 _{I know, I'm sorry! You're the most knowledgeable person here on how our weapon conversions work, so I need your help setting up a weapons demonstration, just to intimidate Intrepid's fleet.}_

"Alright fine. Where do you want me?"

 _{Set up on the West side of the fleet, about a half mile further than the furthest ship. We'll do an aircraft flyover first, and then I'll bring in some planes so you can show off those badass anti-aircraft capabilities you have. Once that is over Roberts can fire off some active decoys for target practice.}_

"Alright. What about Samoa?"

 _{She can occupy your spot for now. You can take up a spot next to me when you're done.}_

"Sounds like a plan. On the move."

I power through the formation of ships, weaving in between them until I break out into open water. After executing a very lazy turn to port I drop anchor and watch from inside the wheelhouse as Enterprise launches Hellcats, Avengers, and Helldivers. The planes fly over and get into formations, circling the fleet while I ready all of my weapons.

A green flare marks the start of the demonstration, and I hand my sister a pair of earplugs. "You're going to want these."

She quickly stuffs the earplugs in her ears and gets up from the bed, changing from her pajamas into a simple pair of blue jeans with a black shirt. I loop an arm over her shoulder and pull her against me as the planes angle in. "You know what's great about this ship?"

"The speed?"

"That, and the guns."

With a snap of my fingers all of the anti-aircraft guns open fire, the small twenty-millimeter Oerlikon guns rattling and sending tracers streaming towards the approaching planes while the forty-millimeter and five-inch guns thunder. The semi-inactive shells of the latter two make a very cute looking black puff of smoke just like the real deal, just without the shrapnel.

I get to enjoy myself blazing away at the aircraft for several minutes before Enterprise sends me a message that the surface targets are being deployed. I look out toward the open ocean to find three identical destroyer escorts performing various maneuvers.

"Time for the real fun!" I cheer, bringing my main battery to bear while doing the necessary trajectory calculations. Finally ready after a few more seconds a klaxon sounds when the guns are in position and the firing solution is optimal. The guns fire, belching black smoke and sheets of flame out their muzzles with a tremendous blast that I've grown accustomed to.

Since I have processing power to spare while stationary I reroute that to the reloading process, and have the guns reloaded a solid ten seconds later. My sister gives me the new calculations and I input them into the guns just as the first salvo impacts, scoring multiple direct hits on the closest two destroyer escorts. They deflate like a glorified balloon and sink in seconds, leaving nothing left.

Samoa gives me another set of calculations and I expedite them to the guns, skipping the double-checking process that is the true reason my guns take so long between salvoes. A few seconds later the klaxon sounds and I fire the all guns simultaneously, flinging super-heavy shells in the direction of the maneuvering target.

When none of the shells even hit close to the small ship I look sideways at my sister. "And what were those supposed to hit?"

"I was counting on it to continue the turn! I even double-checked them!"

"Oh you have so much to learn… When a ship is maneuvering like that they're trying to throw your aim off. Why would they maintain a direction of travel for longer than a few seconds?" I ask her while I pull up the file containing my firing calculations.

"I suppose you have a point…"

"Save these, I'll explain them later. Soon as I sink this target." I grin, sending the file with a swipe of my hand in her direction. The firing calculations I was double-checking for the next salvo finally are completed, and seconds later the klaxon sounds, then the guns ripple-fire.

 _{Alright, that's enough. Cease fire.}_ Enterprise chuckles softly. Though I can't see the target due to the thick black smoke I know that I've hit it thanks to my surface radar, and I turn all my weapons to safe before she gives me my orders.

 _{Return to me, we need to decide who we're putting on the simulation team.}_

"On my way. Where's the meeting being held?"

 _{My ready room. Just drop anchor off my port side and meet me there. Samoa doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to.}_

"Be there in five tops."

I slowly weave my way through the ship formation as Enterprise retrieves her aircraft, and Samoa watches with great interest as the planes come in one by one, snagging the arrestor wire with their tailhooks before turning into nanomaterials that disappear into the small gap between the amidships elevator and the flight deck. Each landing is absolutely flawless, and by the time I'm anchored she's retrieved all but a half dozen of her aircraft.

I exit my bridge and start to ascend a staircase to the flight deck as another plane comes in. Samoa climbs her own stairway beside me, smiling the entire time like she used to whenever we would visit a museum ship, and upon reaching the flight deck we watch as the last of the planes come in.

"She even got the engine sounds perfect…" My sister starts nerding out, but only for a little bit. Soon enough the last plane has landed, and we cross the flight deck to the base of the conning tower, where all of the warships of the fleet have convened inside of what almost looks like a locker room.

"Listen up!" Enterprise yells after she sees Samoa and I enter. The talking almost immediately stops altogether, and everyone turns to look at her.

"We're having a simulation Six versus Six battle against some ships from Intrepid's fleet. I need someone leading it who preferably has experience leading!"

Several hands go up, including my own. Most of everyone looks at me with concern before Enterprise speaks again, sharing the same look while she stares at me. "You sure you're healthy enough? It's only been a couple days…"

"I'm perfectly capable of fighting, so long as it doesn't involve fisticuffs." I respond, earning a chuckle from a large majority of the people in the room.

"Does anyone have an objection to Alaska leading the flotilla?" Enterprise asks the group, only to receive silence in return. "Alright, you're in. Next I need some people with less experience!"

To my surprise Samoa raises her hand, along with Pasadena, Savannah, and Oakland.

"Savannah you're in. Samoa… if you're feeling up to it then I guess you can. I need another two cruisers and a destroyer!"

All of the destroyers and heavy cruisers raise their hands, leaving Enterprise with a hard choice. "Uhhh… Augusta you're up. Turner and… Oakland."

Augusta and Turner exchange a very enthusiastic high-five before Enterprise stretches her arms above her head. "Okay! So the flotilla is composed of Alaska as the flagship, Samoa, Augusta, Savannah, Turner and Oakland. Any final objections?"

All of the PT hybrids raise their hands, but Enterprise quickly shoots them down. "You guys fall under the category of Assault and Suppression ships, so you can't join."

There's a collective groan that ripples through the back of the room before Enterprise raises a hand, demanding silence. "I know. I'll talk to Brisky and Intrepid about letting us have our turn. Until then, you all are dismissed! The simulation starts at noon, so be here fifteen minutes early if you're in the flotilla!"

Once people start to file out I nudge my sister in the side. "Hey, you sure you're up to this?"

"Hell yeah! I already analyzed the firing solution calculations you sent me and I want to fight with you!"

"Alright, but I want you to stay in my hip pocket."

"Yes ma'am!"

* * *

A couple hours later after a brief nap we all meet up and get a ride via PT boat to Brisky's battleship. All of us are dressed in what is considered by us all to be the fleet uniform, black shirts, combat boots, black cargo jeans and a hat of some sort with our respective Fog sigil on it.

Of course, all of this is completely insulted by my metallic crutches, and when we get up onto the deck at a quarter to noon I notice Scylla and Topeka trying to keep from laughing.

I'm about to ask them what's so funny when Brisky appears on one of her guns.

"Those chosen for the simulation will send me a yes through the comms, without making any movement to show that they have been chosen." She states calmly. After a few seconds she smiles. "Good. I have spent the last hours scanning all ships in the fleet, so that whomever was chosen will have their ships currently active armaments and alterations available in the simulation. This will be a six on six simulation, with each group starting at two separate places on a map of my generation. The first group to be completely sunk loses. All combatants will have their positions on their ships locked to the top of their ships superstructure for the simulation, and all tactics and strategies are available for use as long as no further modification is done to your ships in the simulation. Is this clear?"

All of us nod and mutter acknowledgements, then she smiles. "Good. When I tap the barrel of this gun, I shall open a split Concept comms, with those in the simulation in the simulation, and everyone else in the concept comms with me, able to look over the simulation as they please."

All of us nod acknowledgements but utter no words before she grins, the smile sending goosebumps up my back. "The simulation begins then!"

With that she brings her hand down swiftly onto the gun barrel. The instant her finger touches it everything goes white, and the ringing in my ears turns to dead silence.

* * *

After a few moments of being blind and deaf everything comes back all at once. I find myself atop my superstructure, and when I look around I find that we're all line abreast. Augusta and Samoa are the closest to me, with Savannah, Turner, and Oakland being further out.

"Where to Alaska?" Turner asks, her destroyer creeping forward out of line slowly.

I look forward at the series of intricate islands, and quickly decide on a plan of action upon noticing the brewing stormclouds in the distance.

"Augusta, scout plane. Let's get some intel on what we're sailing into. Everyone else form a battle column on me. We're going to skirt around to the north while we get a read on things. Report any contacts but don't fire unless fired upon. Oakland I want you to hang around this general area but keep moving along with us, just slower."

"Got it boss!" Oakland giggles, stretching her arms above her head.

"Ahead standard! Let's kick some ass!" I cheer, starting forward. "Turner, up front, keep your sensors running, but keep it subtle."

"Got it!"

Using my amidships catapult I launch a floatplane into the clear sky, directing it to head near the island's enough to see over them. Augusta launches hers and sends it further south, mapping out the southern ends of the islands while we search the northern end the old fashioned way.

* * *

...

"Contact in the center! There's a shore installation with some disappearing guns and a couple speed boats! I can see one enemy destroyer entering the islands now!" Augusta reports.

"Bigger problems! Contact to starboard! Two cruisers!" Turner yells, bringing everyone's attention to the two cruisers rounding the end of the large island. "It's Salt Lake City and Scylla!"

"Bring to bear and standby to fire!" I order, turning both my main guns and my secondary five-inch guns to bear.

"They're turning! No sign of any torpedoes yet!" Turner reports just as several lances of plasma streak overhead, missing by a country mile. "Wait, missile! Three missiles, two with Thanatonium readings!"

"Cruisers, point defence! Augusta break off and go reinforce Oakland! Standby to fire!"

I can see the smoke trail from the missiles, and wait for their trajectory to reach its vertex.

"Open fire! Main battery, fire at will!"

Turner's small five-inch guns bark skyward at the approaching missiles as her laser point-defense anti-aircraft batteries open fire, sending black lances of plasma up at them while Augusta turns to port, firing one defiant salvo at Salt Lake City before she disengages from the fight. I fire a simultaneous salvo at Scylla while all of my standard anti-aircraft guns open up on the missiles. Behind me across the gap left by Augusta's exit Samoa fires a salvo over her own while her AA guns blaze skyward, with Savannah behind her using point-defence AA much like Turner.

Augusta's parting salvo splashes harmlessly into the sea around Lake, and seconds later my salvo hits, all except for one splashing into the ocean. To nobody's surprise my inexperienced sister misses, and then Savannah's fifteen gun salvo brackets Lake, with two rounds glancing off her Klein Field.

Seconds later Turner manages to knock one of the missiles out, followed by a second by Savannah, leaving just the third, which adjusts its course and heads straight towards me.

"Oh fuck me!" I yell, beginning a turn to starboard.

A parting salvo from Lake misses Turner by a close margin just as Augusta reports in. "Two contacts to the south! Confirmed as Aurora and Topeka! Still no sign of a sixth ship!"

"Oakland and Augusta head them off! Focus fire on Aurora, she's probably their flagship!"

"Roger!" "Yes ma'am!"

I get halfway into my turn before the third missile impacts, spewing burning liquid all over my Klein Field.

"Napalm?! Seriously?! That does it, Turner! Samoa! We're chasing these two down! Savannah go help Augusta and Oakland!"

"My plane just got swatted. They know we've spotted them." Augusta reports as I bump up to full speed, fanning the flames that burn feet above my head. I start to round the end of the island and a beam glances off my Klein Field.

Due to the distortion from the flames I can't see the target very well and simply aim at the shapes through the flames before firing a complete salvo of main and secondary batteries. I could swear I see a flash of pink, but it's hard to tell.

Only moments later the flames start to die out, and I get a good look of the two ships just as Samoa fires a salvo from her two forward main batteries. Suddenly four missiles streak up from Scylla, being quickly joined by six more from Lake.

"Oh fuck that, Turner, smoke! Samoa we're reversing course!"

"On it!" "Roger!"

Turner starts laying a smokescreen as Samoa and I turn around, sending a parting salvo before hauling ass in the opposite direction with Turner taking up the rear. Most of the missiles miss, including two of those annoying napalm missiles, but a standard corrosive missile hits Samoa, putting her Klein Field to the test. Then a blast sounds above, and dozens of small corrosive warheads rain down on Samoa.

"How you doing Sis?" I ask once the corrosive warheads are done dealing their damage.

"Saturation at thirty-nine percent. I'll be alright."

"Good. How you feeling about all of this?"

"This is exhilarating! I've never had this much fun in my life!"

"I'll be sure to tell your candy-ass boyfriend he's been demoted to second place." I tease. I can practically feel her glaring at me while everyone else roars with laughter.

"Shut up! You leave my love life outta this!"

I giggle and load a floatplane on my starboard catapult. "Alright. Oakland, Augusta, Savannah, reverse course and head north. We'll regroup and hit them as a group."

"Roger that. I'm gonna send 'em a parting gift of homing torpedoes and lay smoke. Aurora isn't messing around!" Oakland responds.

"Torpedoes to port! Oakie look out!" Augusta calls out, sounding slightly panicked. "Starboard turn!"

"On it! Shiiit this is gonna be close!"

A few seconds of silence ensue before I hear a gigantic blast on the opposite side of the islands.

"God damn it!" Augusta yells in frustration. On my little group roster I can see Oakland disappear from the list.

"Let me guess, Oakland just got taken out?" I ask, starting to round the northern tip of the island.

"Yep, her Thanatonium reserves detonated after her Klein Field got overwhelmed." Savannah responds.

"How bad?" I ask for future reference.

"I can see the very tip of her bow, and that's all that is left."

 _'Note to self: move Thanatonium reserves closer inwards on the ship'_

"Alright. Haul ass back to us. Did she at least get some torpedoes off?"

"One. It's heading towards Aurora."

Soon enough I see Savannah quartering away from Aurora and Topeka in the distance, her guns blazing away to cover Augusta, who's making a beeline straight towards me.

"Time to give these girls a taste of their own medicine…" I mumble to myself, opening up eighteen missile tubes and targeting Topeka with all of them.

 _'Nothing personal, You're just a good target'_

On my fantail and along the sides of my superstructure the wood on the deck lifts up on a hinge, exposing the armed missiles underneath before they all launch, momentarily blanketing my ship in smoke as they shoot skyward, arcing towards the light cruiser in the distance. Some arc high, climbing up to five thousand feet to use gravity to their advantage, while others stay at almost wavetop level in an attempt to divide her point-defense fire.

"Jesus Alaska, do you think you fired enough missiles?" Augusta chuckles softly.

"To be entirely honest, no. But I want to save some for Scylla."

"H-hey! Destroyer by the island! It's Baku!" Samoa yells, firing her secondary guns at the small ship. Her first salvo is rushed, so all of the shells fall short of hit the island behind the new opponent, and Baku's return salvo all glance off her klein field.

"Augusta, new target. Take out that destroyer." I order before Samoa's second salvo brackets the small ship, not scoring any direct hits. "Sis, take a breath. Calm down and you'll stand a better chance at hitting her."

"... Okay, I'm good. Does anyone know how many torpedoes she fired?"

"Eight. Half at me and half were at Oakland." Augusta remarks. "Why?"

"The Leningrad-class destroyer only has eight torpedo tubes. So unless she can reload them then she's used all of them. If we can close the distance we'll be able to take her out with ease."

"There's the nerd I know and love!" I cheer just as my missiles enter Topeka's protective envelope. Two that are low on the water almost immediately get hit and detonate, followed by one of the high missiles. Moments later another two detonate, and then the remaining twelve impact, making her klein field flicker, then wink out.

"Savannah, priority target! Hit Topeka, guns only!"

"Yes ma'am!" Savannah chirps back, turning to port so she can bring all fifteen of her main guns to bear on the vulnerable cruiser in the distance. Before she can fire columns of smoke erupt from Topeka, completely obscuring her as dozens of missiles race skyward, arcing towards us.

"Oooooh shit." I mumble absentmindedly.

"I'm firing my torpedoes at Aurora!" Augusta yells over the thundering of Savannah's salvo, which brackets Topeka, with two shells striking home fore of her superstructure. The corrosive shells detonate on the superfiring six-inch turret and the superfiring five-inch mount, glowing violently before disappearing along with large portions of the turrets.

"That salvo didn't kill her, hit her again!" I yell over the howling of Topeka's missiles while turning my main guns to bear.

"No time! Evasive maneuvers!" Samoa shrieks before I'm rocked by four corrosive cluster-warheads. I grit my teeth and clench my fists, watching the saturation percentage of my klein field climb rapidly.

"Contact behind us! It's Scylla and Lake again!" Turner sounds panicked, and over the sound of the corrosive fields covering me I can hear the high-pitched chime of her laser weaponry firing.

"Get torpedoes in the water! Keep them off of us for a little longer!"

"No can do! They're already on top of us!"

I start to count off options, and only now do I notice I've still got a floatplane on the catapult, ready for deployment.

 _'Well… It's worth a shot…'_

I prime all of my remaining missiles and designate Scylla as the target, while also preparing a special mode on my floatplane I've kept since a couple weeks after that first engagement.

Upon launching the plane I do probably the one thing they don't expect me to do: I drop anchor, while going thirty-six knots. Then I fire my missiles, using the smoke from the launch to somewhat conceal my intentions.

The anchor chain snaps taut, and then breaks, starting my turn to starboard while I apply hard right rudder with flank speed. Scylla opens fire with her guns at Samoa, blazing away at the floating hulk of the ship.

"I wonder how long it's gonna take her to realize she's already taken out…" I mutter just as she launches missiles of her own, which split into multiple smaller warheads, taking out all of my missiles.

"Aw come on!" I yell in frustration. "Turner can you do anything to draw Scylla's attention away from me?"

…

"Turner?"

I look at the flotilla roster, to find myself as the only one left.

"Well fuck. If I'm going down I'm taking one of you with me!" I yell to no one in particular as I effectively charge at Scylla, making my normally round klein field more angular at the front of my ship to try to deflect some of her shots.

Now everyone focuses fire on me, and it's not long before my Klein field reaches 90% saturation, then another salvo from Lake raises that up to 96%, and I start to turn to port, bringing all of my main battery to bear, and in my desperation I cut loose with everything I have, including anti-aircraft guns.

At two miles I can't possibly miss, and the klaxon sounds once my main battery is on target.

"Kiss your ass goodbye!"

* * *

"Huh?" I look around, no longer finding myself on my superstructure, but instead standing with my crutches amidst and intermingled group of the two fleets, with Enterprise, Brisky, and Intrepid standing up front, behind them a large holographic map of the ocean and vancouver island sits prominently.

Looking at Enterprise I recognize the scowl she has, and that combined with the looks Intrepid and Brisky are giving everyone is enough evidence to me that something is very wrong.

"The simulation is canceled due to outside involvement. A moment ago Intrepid and Enterprise discovered with a pair of scout planes, and a large US Fleet that is heading to our position."

Piggybacking off Brisky, Intrepid steps forward. "They managed to avoid the regular Fog shore patrols, and are heading here with six destroyers, four missile frigates, two missile cruisers and a single modernized heavy cruiser, along with six squadrons of Fighter-bombers as support. We believe they may have been brought here by accidentally thinking that the firing test earlier today were shots from a fleet allied with them and in need of assistance."

 _'Oh I see, it's my fault then'_

Guam and I look at each other, then at Samoa, who's looking somewhat excited. I shrug and turn my attention back to the leaders in the front just as Enterprise puts her bit in. "The US Fleet is heading directly towards us, and as Fog orders say no Human forces my utilize the sea, our action is clear."

"All forces beside myself, Hope, Intrepid, Enterprise and S-36 will head out, and crush the Human fleet. Females may be taken captive if the option is present. otherwise there are to be no survivors to dissuade them from entering the ocean again. I Repeat, No survivors! Is this clear?"

Most of the other fleet is at least somewhat enthusiastic in their responses. Most of the people in my fleet mutter a simple 'yes ma'am' and call it good.

"Good. Enterprise and Intrepid will provide Aerial Assistance via their planes from here. Aurora and Alaska will cooperatively lead the operation. You leave as soon as all forces are ready. Good hunting!"

The smile that Brisky makes moments before the concept comms room is cancelled gives me goosebumps all over, and then we're all on her deck, with her being nowhere to be found.

"Alright you heard her! Let's get to work!" Enterprise yells, spurring everyone into motion. Those with ships nearby run on holopanels to them while those further away mostly hitch a ride on one of the PT boats, with a few exceptions.

I of course hitch a ride, since it'd take me ages to reach my ship while on crutches.

 _{Alaska, how would you like to go about this? With your… unique… armament I want you and your colleagues in the optimal position. We'll work around whatever you do.}_ Aurora asks as I hobble my way onto the boat and it roars away from the soviet-style battleship.

"The cruisers will hang back and use our guns to weaken the enemy while the destroyers and a couple select cruisers close the distance. Our tankers and transports will stay here with Enterprise, but the PT's will come with. They're our vanguard so to speak."

 _{I see… we'll put ourselves in with your destroyers. That was an interesting fight by the way.}_

"Yeah, no kidding. We got demolished. I guess our weapons are more tailored towards fighting humans."

 _{Don't take it so hard. Topeka and Scylla had modified their missiles armaments into quite the wildcards, and Gato was skulking around underwater and setting up traps, acting as a long range sonar in the early match.}_

"I should've known it was Gato when we couldn't find a sixth ship... Oh, would you please tell Scylla that there's no hard feelings? I focused on her because she was the closest ship."

 _{Of course. Would you like us to lead on?}_

"Sure, we'll fill in the edges."

As the PT boat slows down for me to get off I cut the communications with Aurora and access the fleet net while slowly making my way up a staircase to my deck.

"Oakland and Juneau, split the destroyers evenly between yourselves once we get moving. Guam, Helena, Pasadena, Astoria, and Savannah, you'll take the starboard flank once we split up. Augusta, Cheyenne, Fall, Portland, and Samoa are with me, we'll be taking the port flank. PT's mingle in with the destroyer squadrons. Group leaders, collect your assigned members."

A series of acknowledgements come in, and by the time I'm up on top of my superstructure a minute or so later everyone is moving. Enterprise launches dozens of fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers as Atascosa pulls up alongside her, supplying her with the necessary nanomaterials and Thanatonium to create and arm more aircraft. A quarter mile away Intrepid follows suit while Victoria pulls up alongside her.

I realize that Brisky didn't give us a bearing, but Aurora seems to know the way. So as her fleet gets into cruising formation around her I have the destroyer squadrons form on the sides of the formation while our cruisers fall in formation behind them, a clear line between Guam's group and mine.

 _{Hey y'all, guess what I found on the local radio station!}_ Oakland laughs.

 _{Oh God, what?}_ Guam asks nervously.

 _{It's a parody of Black Betty made by Spiderbait. Can I play it over the fleet net?}_

"No, but you can play it to anyone who asks through a private net until we make contact."

 _{Buzzkill. Fine.}_

* * *

Once we all get in formation I can see people like Oakland and a couple of the destroyers laughing and joking, clearly enjoying the music she's playing. Things continue like that for a while until Scylla contacts me on a private network.

 _{You guys didn't put up as much of a fight as I'd thought!}_

"Gee, thanks. We're better outfitted for attacking humans, not other Fog ships. You'll see when we meet this fleet."

 _{Looking forward to it. By the way, did any missiles from my first salvo hit you guys?}_

"Yes. Your fuckin' napalm hit me."

 _{Sweet, I hadn't had a chance to test it. How was it?}_

"About as annoying as trying to comb your hair when it has a ton of knots in it."

 _{Ha, your field probably caught it yeah? Would've done so much more damage on an unshielded vessel.}_

"It was still annoying! I couldn't see anything through the flames!"

 _{Sweet, works like a charm then! Did you see how the cluster munitions worked? Topeka was wondering if she needed to alter the spread pattern.}_

"The spread pattern's fine, don't change a thing. But uhhh… could you send me the plans for those interception missiles?"

 _{My ABM's? Yeah I can send them to you. They're good for taking out medium to large missiles, but faster targets are harder. They also need a rather large amount of material. It's why I only carry two of them myself.}_

"Sweet, thanks. Also, you got lucky. I had you dead to rights."

 _{Oh? Did you not notice Gato fifty meters to the north of you? Or her torpedoes careening toward ya?}_

"Did you not notice the floatplane about to Kamikaze into you?"

 _{Floatplane? What's the point in a floatplane? It wouldn't have the speed to punch through my field! . . . . Did I lose my field? I can't recall now. Hmm?}_

"Thanatonium is a lovely thing, y'know? If my broadside didn't get you then the plane was going to." I grin maliciously, knowing now that she didn't see it.

 _{Hmmm? What does that have to do with any- oh one sec.}_

I make a comfortable seat atop my superstructure and sit down, laying my crutches flat on the roof of the wheelhouse while I wait. Eventually Scylla contacts me again.

 _{Sorry about that, Aurora was telling us the battle plan. Looks like we're going with an aggressive strike. You staying back and firing at range or pushing with us for a real fight?}_

"I've got a maximum range of twenty-eight miles, what do you think? I'm going to be leading a cruiser squadron along the right side to split their fire. That was the entire purpose of our armament change, to have a longer range."

 _{Ineffective range.}_ She chortles. _{When we get into it do you want me to save a ship for you to scuttle?}_

"No need, I'll be putting shells on target long before you get into range." I shrug and grin, happy I was able to turn her teasing back onto her.

 _{That's not what I meant!}_ she snaps, getting flustered before she closes the channel.

I laugh and start bullshitting with Guam and Samoa until contacts start showing on surface radar.

 _{Enemy fleet on radar. My firing solution is locked in and ready to fire.}_ Guam reports.

"I'm ready to fire."

 _{Target acquired, ready to fire!}_ Samoa cheers.

"Ready, steady, FIRE!"

All three of us fire our forward turrets simultaneously, the shells screaming out over the entire friendly fleet with a tremendous thundering of guns. We all watch and wait until the half-ton projectiles impact, sending water columns high into the sky.

 _{Two shells on target, one frigate crippled.}_ Guam reports calmly.

 _{Target hit! One guided missile destroyer dead in the water!}_ Samoa cheers.

"I hit the modernized cruiser three times. One didn't do anything, but I think I hit a Phalanx and punched through the deck with the other two."

 _{Enemy planes above. Should we do something about it?}_ Samoa asks with a twinge of nervousness.

"I suppose. Enterprise knows to keep her planes clear. Let's let 'em have it." The communication goes out to the entire fleet, and almost immediately everyone opens fire with a mix of plasma fire and tracers, turning any airspace within a five mile radius into a killing zone.

 _{Sorry, but this is officially a no-fly zone.}_ Oakland chuckles darkly, using her dual-purpose main armament against the annoying aircraft.

"Destroyer squadrons, charge! Cruiser groups, flank break!" I order before firing my main guns at the enemy fleet.

My group and I start to all turn to starboard, forming a battle column in which we can bring all of our guns to bear.

I start to straighten out when my salvo impacts, and that's when an unexpected result happens: The guided missile frigate I was firing at explodes catastrophically, the blast breaking the back of the ship and ripping it in twain.

I close my eyes and look away, knowing I just wiped out the entire crew of that ship. It's too late though, I've already seen it happen, and if I stop now I'll never hear the end of it.

Gathering my wits about me I look back up towards the enemy fleet to find that it's practically evaporating under the withering firepower of both my fleet and Intrepid's fleet. They try to fire harpoon anti-ship missiles against us, but they get taken out by a combined effort of ABS missiles from Scylla and point-defense lasers from the destroyer squadrons.

In the battle column behind me all of my group continue to blaze away at the enemy fleet and the aircraft above, downing aircraft like there's no tomorrow while their shells plunge into the enemy fleet, damaging or destroying the modern ships with surprising and frightening efficiency.

Few shells are fired at us. Not even a harpoon is sent our way. The large majority of their attention is directed at the charging destroyers and Intrepid's fleet. At the head of the charge amongst the destroyers is Scylla, her guns blazing away at what I would guess to be their maximum fire rate.

The closer she gets the more the cruisers focus on her, and eventually I see her klein field stop regenerating, meaning it's at full saturation. Seconds later I watch the modernized cruiser start to turn its last remaining turret towards her. I expedite a firing solution to my guns and fire a salvo at it, but all of the shells miss due to the lack of fine-tuning in the solution.

I watch in horror as the guns elevate to fire at her, nearing point-blank range. My guns have yet to reload, and to my horror the two guns remaining in the turret fire.

Everything happens so fast that there's no distinguishing between the guns firing and the impact of the single shell. I stare at the quickly diminishing cloud of smoke atop Scylla's superstructure expecting to see a blood stain, but when the smoke clears I find her standing with her metallic arm extended, laughing hysterically.

"Wha- NO WAY!" I yell in shock.

 _{What?}_ Guam asks, having clearly missed it.

"Scylla just survived a fuckin' direct hit from that cruiser!"

 _{And?}_

"She didn't have a field left!"

 _{What?! That's not possible!}_

"You say that but I'm looking at her right now! There ain't a scratch on her!"

A few seconds pass before she responds, just as Scylla practically vaporizes the heavy cruiser. _{Holy shit you're right… She's perfectly fine…}_

I look around the battlefield to find destroyed ships and aircraft floating everywhere. Spots of burning oil cover the water, and in places the water is tainted red.

"All ships, scour for survivors. Use depth charges to ensure none survive." I order, feeling slightly sick to my stomach.

 _{Roger. Oakland dropping depth charges.}_

 _{Juneau copies… I'll have the destroyers do it.}_

I slow down to cruising speed and safety my guns, turning towards the destroyed ships while scanning the water for any source of life.

 _'Good God what have we become?'_


	7. Chapter 7: Wakeup call, going alone

**[A/N]: Finally got a computer for proper editing! Now hopefully I'll be able to get more chapters out. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it seemed like a good place the end it :P**

 **As always, check out Touhoufanatic's side of this story. He's a great writer!**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

Come the morning after the battle I'm hating myself more than I was last night.

Eager to drown the memories of the massacre I gladly joined in the festivities aboard Intrepid's ship. I didn't dance, or play pool, or even talk with people. No, I was there only to drink, and drink I did, an entire bottle of vodka and a quarter of a bottle of scotch from my own stash.

When I wake up my head pounds like a church bell on Sunday, but thankfully I find myself aboard my own ship, though I can't find one of my crutches. I reluctantly haul myself to my feet and limp my way to Hope's ship for my morning checkup.

When I get down to the medical bay I find both Intrepid and Enterprise laying in beds beside each other. Only the latter is awake, but she looks like she doesn't want to be.

"Mornin' E. What're you in here for?" I ask.

"I overworked myself yesterday. I made too many planes, and when the last one landed I passed out. Same thing with Intrepid I guess."

"You tell me not to overdo it, but you overwork yourself? Christ E, I've never seen you be so hypocritical before." I tease, limping my way over to the chair by her bed.

"Shut up, desperate times called for desperate measures!" She snaps, and I wince a bit at her volume. "Oh, sorry. Fun night?"

"If by 'fun' you mean trying to drown the images that I was seeing every time I closed my eyes, then yes." I grumble, easing myself into the chair.

"Oh. Yeah I know how that is. Any luck?"

"Some. Any word on that woman we fished out?" I change the subject.

"Other than the fact that she's alive I got nothin'. Ask Hope when she comes in."

"I plan on it."

"You plan on what exactly now?" Hope asks as she comes into the doorway behind me, a strangely solemn expression covering her face.

"Asking you how that woman is." I respond, slightly concerned about Hope.

"She'll live. When she wakes up try to make things seem as normal as possible. Use your human names and just tell her she's in the hospital in Olympia."

"Alrighty then, we can do that." Enterprise says with a nod.

"Excellent. Alaska, I assume you're here for your morning physical?" Hope asks, checking on Intrepid.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. I've been asked by the flagship to do psych evaluations on your fleet too, so if you'll permit me I could do that while I'm checking on you."

I look to Enterprise for her approval and she scoffs. "What are you looking at me for? You're technically flagship right now."

I roll my shoulders and look back to Hope. "Sure, let's do it."

Hope smiles and points to the empty bed next to Enterprise while retrieving a small bag. "Excellent, please lay down on that and we'll begin immediately."

* * *

Finally after an hour of talking to Hope I'm finally permitted to ditch the crutches. Albeit she said it's "not recommended", but close enough. I talk to Enterprise for a while and then excuse myself, walking over to Intrepid's ship.

I cross over Scylla's ship and climb up to the flight deck of the carrier, limping my way across the deck and into the conning tower. On the stairs I almost step on a passed-out La Vallette, but after repositioning her I continue down, into the lobby.

"Christ, it's a fuckin' mess in here."

Chairs are scattered around the room, some occupied by passed-out hybrids while others are tipped over. Plenty of people lay unconscious on the floor, and I make my way through the mess to the bar at the opposite end by the pool table, where surprisingly the bottle of scotch I left behind last night is untouched, sparing what I drank of course.

Sitting down on the barstool I rest my face in my hands for a minute, then reach for the bottle, pouring myself a glass with no ice, which I proceed to nurse for a while until a voice speaks up quietly behind me.

"Isn't it a bit early to be drinking?"

I look over my shoulder to find a wide-awake Mobile, who moves to sit down beside me.

"I suppose it is, but it's better than seeing things every time I close my eyes." I respond before knocking back the last of the glass.

"Alcohol isn't the answer to a problem like that."

"... How do you deal with it?"

Mobile shrugs. "You just try to find the silver lining in everything. Like that destroyer you blew up yesterday, look on the bright side, they didn't suffer and now they're free to do whatever they want."

I stare blankly at the empty glass for a few moments before huffing in amusement and cracking a small smile. "That's fucked up."

"I know, but after a while it almost feels like a service when you end a ship like that. There's hardly any suffering if any at all, and it's just…" She tapers off, trying to find the words, and after a few seconds she snaps her fingers. "Done."

"Is that why Scylla and Topeka customize their missile payloads?"

"Yeah. To get the most efficient way of killing something. Or at least that's why Topeka does it, I don't know about Scylla."

"Did you see what she did yesterday?" I ask.

"Yup. I don't know what to think of it."

"Me neither."

"A couple of us asked her about it, but she didn't say anything." Mobile sighs in disappointment.

"Judging from how she looked when it happened, I'd say even she doesn't know what happened." I grumble tiredly, laying my head on my arms.

"Hey 'lass, orders from Brisky." A person yawns from behind us. I swivel in my chair to find Roberts standing there in a pair of blue jeans and a grey hoodie.

"Thanks. How's the hangover?" I ask, taking a white envelope from her.

"Don't have one. I stayed up last night on picket duty." She yawns back, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh. Well, go get some sleep. I'll let you know if you're needed." I order, earning a nod and a tired salute before she makes her way across the lobby and disappears into the stairwell. Once she's out of sight I spin around on my barstool and open the envelope. "Why did she bother with an envelope when she could just send the file to me?"

"Beats me, are those our patrol compositions?"

I pull the several folded sheets of paper out and look them over briefly. "... Yeah. I've got a patrol route near the shore with your sister and Astoria." I have a look at the fine print under our assignment and scowl. "Well then. I guess we're going to pay a visit to Victoria and destroy any targets of opportunity."

"You're with Topeka…?" Mobile pales. "Oh God this isn't going to end well…"

"Well, I guess we're swapping sisters for our patrols, because you're with Samoa and Oakland. The orders say 'effective immediately', so let's wake everyone up and go get this over with."

"Let me go find Topeka and get her up. She's not a morning person." Mobile says as she gets up and starts scouring the room.

"That makes two of us." I grumble, changing my shirt into a hoodie before stuffing the bottle of scotch into the large pocket.

I get up and move over to the closest person, which happens to be Guam, and start shaking her to get her up. "Hey, wakey-wakey. Patrol compositions are here."

Grumbling she rolls over and starts to go back to sleep.

"Get up Guam, or I'm throwing you in the drink again."

"I'm up… fuckin' A. If you don't throw me in then I'm gonna jump in. At least that'll help with the fucking hangover."

"You do that. Then get your ass down here and help me wake everyone up."

"Yes ma'am."

Knowing she's awake I move on to the next person, Molotov.

"Wakey-wakey Ruskie. Time for patrols to organize."

"Did you seriously just call me Ruskie?" She grumbles, opening her eyes.

"Yeah, being how you're a Russian ship I figured it'd be appropriate."

"I _am_ Russian, thank you very much. Calling me that is _not_ okay."

"Duly noted, now get your ass up. I've got patrol assignments right here."

"Are you always this much of an asshole?"

"Only when things need done."

"Ugh, get laid already."

"Hey I mean, if you're offering I won't say no, but I've already got my sights set on someone else." I tease, trying to make her uncomfortable to shut her up.

Molotov smiles and shakes her head. "Heh, so you go for girls eh? Not surprising really when there's no guys in the fog, or hybrids for that matter. But no thanks. Who is it?"

"That's for me to know and you to figure out. Start waking people up and I might give you a hint when we're done."

I spend the next ten minutes trying to get everyone up, and eventually give up, instead focusing on waking up Astoria, who's passed out on the pool table.

"Hey, get up." I shake her shoulder and she rolls onto her side, facing away from me.

"Astoria get the fuck up. We've got a patrol and I'm not going on it without you." I continue to pester her.

"...Mmmnnn. No. Hangover." She mumbles.

"Fine. We can do it this way."

I grab her behind the knees and by the shoulders before picking her up, feeling a slightly painful twinge in my leg as I do so, but not enough to keep me from carrying her up the stairs, across the flight deck, and down a holopanel staircase to the water.

"Time to wake up, Astoria."

With that I drop her into the water, and seconds later she comes up sputtering. "Not fucking cool! Not cool at all!"

"Au contraire. It's _very_ cool, as you just found out."

"Fucking smartass! That's not what I meant!"

I giggle and haul her up onto the holopanel I'm on. "Go get to your ship and stand by."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

Having managed to collect Topeka and get underway the three of us patrol along Vancouver island, staying just over the horizon so nobody on shore can report our position. Nonetheless, I keep scanning short-range radio frequencies, listening for any sort of activity that _isn't_ construction related. All the while Topeka is surprisingly quiet.

Until she isn't.

 _{Come onnnnn! When are we going to find someone to kill?!}_

"Once we get there. Quiet down so I can listen to the radio."

Topeka continues to rant on and on about how bored she is, though I eventually tune her out, scanning the frequencies for even the most minute peep of military traffic.

Finally I find what I want, though it's not good news that I hear.

 _{*Archer this is Sentinel. Message, over.*}_

 _{*This is Archer, send it.*}_

 _{*Archer, be advised. We have three times Fog ships coming down the coastline, range is thirty miles. One times Iowa-class, one times Cleveland-class, and one times New Orleans-class. How copy? Over.*}_

' _They think I'm an Iowa-class? I'm flattered'_

 _{*Sentinel, solid copy on all. Let us know if they turn, over.*}_

 _{*Roger that, Sentinel out.*}_

"Load and make ready for combat!"

 _{Finally!}_ Topeka cries out, her guns all shifting as they looked for targets.

"Astoria, start jamming their comms."

 _{On it.}_

"Actually, belay that. I'll do it."

 _{Roger. Radar contact, zero-nine-six for twenty miles, altitude is ten thousand feet. It's only moving eighty knots, so I'll bet it's a spotter plane.}_

"I guess it's time for a good old-fashioned dogfight then eh?" I ask, preparing a floatplane on both of my catapults.

 _{This'll be a turkey shoot, one plane against three? They don't stand a chance!}_ Astoria laughs.

 _{Hey, no fair! I don't have launchable aircraft!}_ Topeka complains.

"That sounds like a personal problem."

I launch the SC Seahawk on my starboard catapult first, letting it circle around before launching the one on my port side. At the same time Astoria launches one of her own, and together the three planes loosely spiral skyward. At the same time I start jamming all radios within a fifty mile radius, scrambling the radio waves so often that they can be transmitted, but not received.

"Alright, they know we're here, so let's turn towards the coastline. We'll stay at this speed."

 _{Can't we speed up a little?! Come on! We're all capable of going faster than forty knots, so why are we doing twenty?!}_

"Negative, this speed is fine, and if we go any faster they'll know we're attacking. Beginning a turn to port. Ready. Steady. Turn."

We get roughly halfway through our turn before the radio comes to life again, though within the fifty miles the three of us are the only ones who can hear it.

 _{*Archer, this is sentinel. The Fog ships are turning towards the strait, and have launched aircraft. How copy? Over.*}_

I smile, knowing that 'Archer' can't hear him.

 _{*Archer, this is Sentinel. Come in, over.*}_

After the third attempt from the plane to get in contact with 'Archer' Astoria asks me if she can try something. Not knowing what it is I give my approval.

 _{*Sentinel, They can't hear you honey! Now, I'm going to give you a chance. If you can survive a dogfight with my plane for five minutes I'll let you go. Okay?*}_

 _{*Identify yourself immediately!*}_

 _{*If you insist! I am the Fog heavy cruiser Astoria, one of the three ships you've reported to your base on land. Provide us with some good entertainment and I can promise we'll let you live!*}_ She purposefully leaves out the fact that she's a hybrid, since humanity doesn't know about the project.

 _{*I uh… what?*}_

 _{*Five minutes starts… now!*}_

 _{No fun giving them a chance to run!}_ Topeka complained.

 _{Oh there's plenty of fun in it! Now we have some quality entertainment!}_ Astoria responds cheerfully as her floatplane attacks the Piper Cub, purposefully messing up the first pass.

Feeling disgusted I privatize the channel with Topeka. "In case you haven't noticed, Astoria has a sadistic streak a mile wide."

 _{What's wrong with that?}_ Topeka asks as her AA guns shift and try tracking the plane.

"She _literally_ gets off to doing stuff like this."

 _{Sounds fun! Hey Astoria! Want to see if my guns can take it down before your plane does?}_

 _{Maybe after the five minutes are up. This guy's pretty good!}_

 _{Grrr, fine. I really need to shoot something}_

"You'll get your chance. The strait is lined with defenses, and we'll be running the gauntlet."

 _{Good, my missile tubes are getting restless and itchy.}_ Topeka mutters as I noticed her missile hatches all open up.

"I imagine it is, just keep things private." I roll my eyes at my own innuendo and focus on mapping the locations of the defences. All the while Astoria's plane continues to toy with the bush plane like a cat playing with a live mouse.

One of my floatplanes holds a blocking position, preventing the Piper Cub from leaving while my other plane flies high over the strait, allowing my a good view at all the poorly-camouflaged gun and missile emplacements. As I'm starting to wrap up my reconnaissance though an unexpected development ensures the destruction of the plane: four ground-based AIM-120 missiles streak up from the ground, tracking gracefully until they slam into the plane.

 _{Want me to bust those?}_ Topeka quickly asks.

"Not quite yet, we'll synchronize our beginning salvoes." I respond just as Astoria sighs contentedly.

 _{Alright Topeka, you can have your fun with him, I'm done.}_

 _{Sweet!}_ Topeka cheers as her AA quickly sends up a swarm of dark blue shots, one shot going right through the plane's right wing. {Got the bastard! He's going down. With any luck he'll hit one of his friends and I'll get a two for one!}

"Congrats. I'm sending you both the locations of the emplacements. Get ready, because we should be entering their firing range soon." I declare unenthusiastically.

 _{Awesome. I've got corrosive missiles ready and waiting!}_ Topeka exclaims enthusiastically as all of her missiles tubes light up as they prime for launch.

"Heavy conventional shells for me, no use wasting the Thanatonium for corrosive shells."

 _{We've got missiles for a reason though, why not use them?}_

"I tend to save them for a pinch. It's just personal preference."

 _{Whatever. Just clear me for firing and those defenses will cease to exist, along with anyone in or around them!}_ Topeka declares with a disturbed snicker.

Before I can respond I see one of the disappearing gun mounts move into firing position and fire, sending a shell screaming at me, though it lands short.

"Alright, commence fire."

 _{Eat Thanatonium!}_ Topeka cries out as a massive barrage of her missiles fly up into the sky.

Both Astoria and I wordlessly fire our guns. The radio is going wild as the shore installations try to communicate with each other, to no avail, and the further we get into the strait the more frantic the communications become, giving me reason to believe there is an important ship in the area that the Navy doesn't want sunk.

 _{Boom!}_ Topeka says happily as many of her missiles begin landing on their targets, though just as many seem to get shot down.

"We're almost to Victoria everyone, just five more minutes. Keep taking out the shore emplacements and-"

The loud howling of shells overhead catch my attention. It's louder than any of the gun emplacements, and eventually it stops. A split second later my klein field erupts in balls of flame, smoke, and shrapnel, increasing the saturation level from 27% to 90%.

"What the hell just hit me?!"

 _{Uh, that.}_ Astoria says as she points further down the strait.

"Be more specific! Where the hell is… oh _fuck_."

Further down the strait on the horizon sits a monstrosity of a ship, showing its full broadside to us while the guns flash again, and I hear that terrifying silence.

"That's an Iowa-class! They're the only thing the Navy has that can beat a Fog cruiser in a fair fight!" I yell, bracing for the impact to come.

 _{Really wishing I had a super gravity cannon right now.}_ Topeka mutters under her breath.

As expected the salvo completely saturates my klein field, and four shells tear into my lower superstructure, punching clear through my decks, nanomaterial storage, and one of my engine rooms before detonating near the bottom most deck. I'm knocked out of my chair and thrown to the edge of the superstructure as it starts to topple to the starboard side.

"Fuuuuuck!" I yell pointlessly prior to plunging into the cold water.

 _{Firing smoke missiles and coming to pick you up!}_ Topeka declares.

When I reach the surface I rig my ship for scuttling using my remaining Thanatonium and start swimming away from it. "Don't bother! Get out of here and get in contact with the fleet!"

 _{But-!}_ Astoria starts to argue as another salvo tears into my ship.

"That's an order! Get the hell out of here and let the fleet know there's a battleship here!'"

 _{Let's not argue with the one committing honorable suicide like some crazy samurai.}_ Topeka says as her missiles fly over the water, covering it in smoke and hiding their escape.

"I'll keep in touch. It's just not worth you guys getting sunk by that battleship."

 _{Hope you don't get interrogated and tortured for Intel!}_ Topeka calls out before she disappears from the comms.

"Thanks for the comforting thought." I grumble to myself, swimming towards the southern side of the strait.

* * *

Fifteen minutes after I got dropped into the water I sit on the southern shoreline, catching my breath while I wait for the ship to detonate. Eventually I get tired of waiting and snap my fingers, setting off the Thanatonium scuttling charges inside the stores deep within the hull.

A second passes, and then my crippled ship goes up in a bright flash of light, sending pieces everywhere just like I'd planned. The back of the ship buckles and breaks, blowing the ship in two, then the secondary stores blow, blowing the fore portion in half again.

After finally catching my breath I start through the woods, being mindful of destroyed and active weapons emplacements. The entire trek lasts just short of three hours, and eventually I find a small logging road, choosing to follow it south until I either find a house or a car comes by.

It gets dark before the latter happens, and as the headlights roll down the road I do my best to act lost and scared. The passenger and driver doors both open at the same time, and a voice calls out to me over the sound of the diesel engine.

"On your knees! Put your hands behind your head!"


	8. Chapter 8: Going alone

**[A/N]: Here's chapter 8, just in time for Thanksgiving! More to come soon!**

 **I own nothing but the fic. Be sure to check out Touhoufanatic's fic Daemons In The Fog if you haven't already.**

 **And with that said, enjoy!**

* * *

"On your knees! Put your hands behind your head!"

I slowly comply, not wanting to get into a confrontation now that I have no way out. "Please don't shoot!" I yell, trying to act scared, which isn't very hard. I cower slightly as two camouflaged men approach, their rifles trained on me the entire time.

After both of them reach me I can see one of them relax slightly. "Christ, what's a person like you doing way the hell out here?"

"I-I was picking mushrooms s-sir."

"Mushrooms? This time of year?" His partner asks.

"Y-yes sir. I-it's a little late for Morels, but they're out here."

"Where's your bag then?"

"W-when the shelling started I panicked and dropped it."

"Shelling…? Oh. Jesus, you were all the way over there?"

"Y-yes sir."

Finally the second guy relaxes. "Alright, where do you live? We'll take you home."

' _Oh shit, ummm…'_

"I… don't. I've just been moving around, wherever there's work."

"Well… the least we can do is give you a ride back to town. We've got a few spare beds too if you want a place to crash for the night."

"I'd like that. Thank you sir."

"Hop in the back and hold on."

* * *

"Here we are Miss! It don't look like much, but that's the point." The driver yells over his shoulder through the back window, of the pickup truck, warranting me to rise from my seat in the corner of the bed to sit on the fender.

Ahead of us sits what looks like an abandoned lodge, complete with a ski lift next to a decrepit boarded-up ski rental building. On one side of the ski lodge were a couple snowcats and pickup trucks, parked in such a way that they could roll out in a moments notice.

The driver eases the truck into a parking spot and turns it off prior to getting out. "Follow me. Is there anything you want before I rack out?"

"Is there a place where I can get a drink?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure you'll want to drink there. Some of the guys can get a little… _touchy_ , when they're drunk." The passenger responds. "I'm about to head there to make sure they ain't destroying the place, so you're welcome to tag along if you're willing to accept you'll probably have a couple drunks try to feel you up."

"I appreciate the concern, but I can handle my own. I'll take my chances." I answer confidently.

"Alright, follow me. See you later Sabre."

The driver gives a two fingered wave over his shoulder as he continues to walk away, ascending some stairs on the side of the building to the second story.

Noticing that the other guy is leaving me behind I jog to catch up to him, and we both walk in silence through the front doors of the lodge to the sound of laughter and talking.

Once inside the door my guide stops me and hands me a small wad of money. "Buy whatever you need. Just keep an eye out for those three in the far corner. Don't worry about paying me back."

"Uhh… thanks." I mutter, dumbfounded.

"Don't mention it. If you need me just yell, I'll be on the balcony keeping an eye on things." He flashes a thumbs-up before heading towards a stairwell.

I count out the bills in my hand and head towards the bar, weaving between chairs and tables occupied by almost nothing but guys who eye me like a cold drink on a summer day. Upon reaching the bar I sit in a barstool and grab the camouflage-clad bartender's attention.

"Howdy Miss, I don't think I've seen you here before. What'll it be?"

"Something strong."

He nods and turns around, grabbing a quart mason jar off a shelf. "How does apple pie sound?"

"Perfect." I respond, catching the jar as it's slid across the counter. I screw off the cap and give it a sniff to make sure it's not just apple juice before slapping the money on the counter. "Cheers."

For a while I tune out the talking around me, instead focusing on my own thoughts and the events of the day. My thoughts drift back to the engagement in the strait, and try as I might I can't figure out where the battleship came from. After several minutes of trying to make sense of the engagement I feel a pinch on the backside and straighten up in surprise. I turn in my seat to find one of the guys the guy warned me about, a big grin on his face and a beer in his hand. "Hey there sweet cheeks!"

Giving the dude a chance I roll my eyes and turn back around, taking another drink from the mason jar before the guy sits down next to me and tries to strike up a conversation.

"So, you come here often?"

"Nope. I'm just cruising through, looking for work." I respond with a monotone voice, trying to make it as clear as possible that I'm not interested.

"Oh? And what do you do for work? There's some jobs open in the area that you look like you'd fill perfectly."

"Metal fabrication and welding. What jobs are open?"

"Well we need another diesel mechanic, the Navy needs welders, and there's a distinct lack of dancers-"

He's cut off when a guy who's in a hurry bumps into him, knocking him into me and spilling the rest of my moonshine all over me. He quickly picks himself up and looks at me with great amusement while I flick a cinnamon stick off my alcohol-soaked jacket. Frustrated, I slam the empty mason jar down on the bar and get up, heading towards the front door with the intention of simply disappearing into the woods.

That is, until a gentle hand on the shoulder stops me. I wheel around, ready to lay out the drunk dumbass who tried to talk to me, but find a woman dressed in camouflage and a plate carrier standing there. "Easy. I notice you've got no bag. I have some clothes up in my room that might fit you." She quickly explains.

I hesitate, then eventually nod, knowing that declining would raise some eyebrows. In return the woman smiles softly. "Come with me."

I follow her across the first floor, then up the stairs to the second floor, where she walks four doors down on the right and opens the door. She strides in confidently and I close the door behind me, finding two bunk beds and a pair of dressers.

"I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm Second Lieutenant Karla Huffner, a liaison from the National Guard. Please just call me Karla or Lieutenant." She says while opening up a drawer and pulling out a pair of camouflage clothes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Allison Kellogg." I lie about my name, but it's an alias that I've gone under during shore expeditions, an alias that Enterprise came up with, and a sneaky one at that. Allison Kellogg, AK, Alaska.

"Nice to meet you Allison. Do you have a bunk yet?"

"Nope. I got here and went straight for the bar." I respond with an amused huff.

"Rough day?" She asks while handing me the change of clothes.

"You could say that." I giggle. "Woke up freezing my ass off with a hangover, spent a few hours travelling with someone I don't like, then when I went mushroom picking I had the shit scared outta me by three Fog ships and I left my bag of belongings in the woods somewhere in my hurry to get the hell outta dodge."

"Yeah that does sound like a rough day. Well, these three bunks are open, so get changed outta those and pick one. I'm going to sleep." She yawns and points to the three bunks before flopping down on her bunk, which is clearly identified by a M4 leaning against it.

"Is there any place for me to change?"

"Bathroom at the top of the stairs. The lock doesn't work, so use the doorstop. You can keep those if they fit."

"Thanks."

I leave the room with the clothes bundled up in my arms and head for the bathroom, knocking on the ajar door to ensure it's unoccupied before entering and putting the doorstop in place.

Since my clothes are made of nanomaterials I don't actually need to change them out. It's just easier this way though. Less excuses.

I strip the excess nanomaterials off of me and swirl them around myself in the air once before making them into an exact copy of the clothes that Karla gave me. Having gotten "redressed" I stash the clothes I was given under some towels on a high shelf and comb out my hair, which was made somewhat puffy from the earlier exposure to saltwater. Once I feel presentable I remove the doorstop and walk out, yawning as I do so.

I take probaby four steps towards Karla's door before it's flung open and the Lieutenant emerges, her M4 clutched in her hands. She looks right, and then looks left, locking eyes with me before she raises her rifle with a look of disgust. "Freeze, Alaska! Hands up!"

I do the exact opposite. I spin around and sprint towards the stairs, taking the steps three or four at a time before leaping to clear the last five and combat rolling onto my feet. I sprint at the front exit as fast as I can, and right before I burst through it I hear Karla yell behind me.

"Stop her! She's a Fog!"

The yelling behind me as I burst through the door is enough evidence to me that shit just hit the fan, and when I clear the front steps I sprint towards the trucks, sacrificing my 'shoelaces' for a key.

Without breaking stride I dive into the open window of the truck I was brought here in and jam the key into the ignition, rejoicing when the Diesel engine rumbles to life. I jam the gearshift into Drive and floor the accelerator just as everyone makes it outside, some firing rifles or handguns at me while others run for the trucks.

I duck in the seat and throw a panel from my klein field at them, knocking down the people shooting at me before I'm out of their line of fire, having entered the narrow logging road.

Now is when the real chase begins. Given my uncle's experience in working on Diesel trucks he had a fun half-ton pickup truck that him and I would modify, then race until it broke down. Then we'd tear it apart and try something else. Put simply, I'm not new to the world of speed. I definitely give them a run for their money, somehow managing to stay comfortably ahead for a solid ten minutes.

Of course, being in an unknown area eventually screws me over. I take a wrong turn and end up on an old logging landing. The second I realize my mistake I start to turn around, but the narrow road means that I have to do a three-point turn, and halfway through the process they catch up.

As the lead pickup accelerates around the corner I expect the driver to slow down, but instead he floors it, and I realize his intentions seconds before he T-bones the pickup I'm in, rolling it several times and sending me bouncing around inside the cab.

Once the truck settles it's on the roof of the cab. I try to push myself up, but find myself physically too weak to move, and the door is wrenched open before I'm forcefully dragged out and put in handcuffs.

I'm then unceremoniously dragged to the back of a pickup and thrown in, to find Karla sitting on the fender with her M4 pointed at me.

I sigh and smile, staring up at the star-filled sky. "You don't need to point that at me anymore. You caught me, I'm done. I'm not gonna try anything else."

"And why should I believe you?"

I chuckle weakly and close my eyes. "Because I'm too weak and tired to try anything else. Getting your ass kicked twice in the same day is tiring you know."

"I suppose it would be for a human, but don't Fog not fatigue?"

"I can't say." I respond, activating the level one distress signal encoded in my union core. Level one is a way of saying 'hey I'm over here', while level two is a non-urgent distress signal. Level three is the highest, and demands immediate action by any nearby ships.

"You know what fatigue is right?" Karla asks.

"Of course I know what fatigue is. I'm simply not permitted to disclose information regarding how we function."

"Heh. The Navy's going to have a field day with you."

"How'd you figure it out by the way? I wasn't in there very long."

"There were cameras in that forest watching the shoreline. I received a BOLO with a picture of you sitting on a rock watching your ship sink."

"Bolo?" I ask, slightly unfamiliar with the term.

"Be On the Lookout. You really thought you could hide in plain sight?"

I choose to not respond, and instead do my best to go to sleep. Lord knows I'm going to need it.

* * *

When I wake up I find myself not in the truck, or in some sort of jail cell. To my shock I'm inside what looks like an interrogation room. Empty, with a table and two chairs in the center, with a one-way mirror on the wall in front of me. My arms are up above my head, the handcuffs holding me up with the help of a locked shackle. The shackle is high enough up on the wall that I can't sit down. My options are stand or hang there, and after looking down I find that I am completely naked, with my ankles handcuffed together.

I sigh and relax my stature, letting myself hang as I change the distress beacon from level one to level two. I'm about to request a concept comms with Enterprise when the door opens.

"I really don't understand why you called me up here. Why all the secrecy?" The familiar deep voice makes me flinch, and I look up at the door, not bothering to adjust my posture.

"You'll see, just believe me when I say that she _isn't_ who she looks like." Another more feminine voice responds as Karla leads the way in. "Ah, you're finally awake. Did you have a nice nap, Alaska? Or should I call you Allison?"

"The nap was lovely, though it seems a bit breezy in here. Could I at least get a burlap sack or something to protect what modesty I have left?"

"Why not just make it? You're made of nanomaterials."

"I don't have the ability to do that currently." I mumble.

"I see… well, I will see what I can do after our discussion." She writes something in a notepad before turning to the still opened door. "You may enter, Captain."

I turn my attention to the door just as a man in a Navy dress uniform enters, stopping to close the door behind him before looking at me and stopping in his tracks.

"Captain I will remind you again that she is not who she looks like." The lieutenant warns as we both stare at each other.

Eventually he shakes his head and walks over to the table, sitting down beside the lieutenant on the opposite side of the table from where I'm hanging. She pulls out an audio recorder and places it in the middle of the table before looking at it.

"We will now begin interrogation one of Fog subject zero-zero-four. The date is March ninth, 2056. The time is currently thirteen-hundred hours. The only current occupants of the room are the Lieutenant Karla Huffner, Captain Richard Ellis, and the subject."

Now, she looks up at me. "State your name and ship class."

"Alaska. Alaska-class large cruiser." I respond solemnly, my voice as monotone as possible.

"What fleet are you part of and what is your position in command?"

"Raiding fleet Hotel two-six, Golf. Raid command ship."

"You've learned our phonetic alphabet?"

"Yes. All Fog have."

The two look at each other before she continues.

"You said you were a 'raid command ship', does this mean you have superiors? If so, who?"

I remain silent, staring at them both with a neutral expression as per protocol.

After thirty seconds or so the lieutenant leans down into the audio recorder. "It would seem the subject is unwilling to answer the question."

Then she straightens back up and looks at me. "I believe that is enough questions for now."

I nod and she turns off the audio recorder, placing it in her pocket before gathering up her notepad and heading towards the door. The man stands up, and as he passes by I speak up. "I would like to speak with you captain. It would appear we both have some questions for each other."

He stops on the spot and looks at the lieutenant. "Go on, I'll be right behind you." Karla gives him a skeptical look before shrugging and knocking on the door, cuing two guards to open it and let her out, closing the door behind her.

"Go ahead and ask your questions first. It'll be easier that way." I sigh.

"Where did you get your appearance from? You copied it from a human, right?"

"Nope, this is my own look."

"Do you know if these two girls were killed by your kind?" He asks as he pulls out his wallet and retrieves a picture of my sister and I.

"They're both alive and healthy." I respond, knowing where he's going with this.

"They are…? How can you be so sure?"

"Because I talked to Danielle two days ago and I'm right here you fuckin' dinosaur." I chuckle.

He looks at me with a mix of surprise and anxiety that both quickly turn to anger. "You lie! Both my daughters are gone, and now you sit here, a Mental Model with my eldest's face and body! Do you presume to mock me? To insult us even after you deprive us of resources and communication!?"

"You want me to prove it to you? Ask me any question about my childhood."

He glares at me, as if my words are a vile poison. "What did I get my daughters for Christmas two years ago?"

"You got Danielle a three-ring binder full of every ship class made by america, and you got me that old piece of shit truck that you couldn't fix."

His eyes gleam for a second before he scowls. "What is my wife's maiden name?"

"Lee. Same as my middle name."

He seems to be on the verge of tears now, but stoically holds it back, showing a strong face as he always did. "What did my daughter, the one you say you are, want to do with her life?"

"I wanted to be a machinist. Same as grandpa."

He swallows, seeming to have trouble as he does. "I. . . I see. . . I will see to getting you something to clothe yourself with. I. . . I need to go think." He says as he turns and leaves the room, his eyes full of pain.

I wait for the door to close before letting out a sigh and adjusting myself so my shoulders don't hurt as much.

' _I hope he believes me.'_

* * *

I'm left completely to my lonesome for the entirety of that day. Nothing to do but hang and think. By the next morning it feels like my shoulders are about ready to tear off. My dad never came through with the clothes, and given that they turned the temperature way down in the room I'm shaking like a leaf by eight the next morning. Thankfully they turn the temperature up at half past ten, and then the door opens at eleven.

No surprise to me, the lieutenant walks in first, as stoic as ever. Then in walks my dad, in his uniform with a laptop under one arm. Then to my surprise walks in two soldiers, who move to stand in either corner of the room to my left and right.

A third soldier pushes in a covered cart and leaves, closing the door behind him. My dad sits down and opens up his computer, tapping on the keyboard and trackpad several times while the lieutenant pulls a video camera and tripod from the cart, quickly setting it up.

"This is interogation two of Fog subject zero-zero-four. Today is March tenth, 2056. The time is currently eleven-oh-eight. The people in the room are Lieutenant Karla Huffner, Captain Richard Ellis, Sergeant Maximilian Brown, Sergeant Michael Houston, and subject four."

Then she turns to me and sits down. "We'll start in the same way as yesterday. What is your name and ship class?"

"Alaska. Alaska-class battlecruiser."

At the change she furrows her brow. "You said large cruiser yesterday. Why the change?"

"Because they're the same fucking thing." I chuckle lightly.

Karla looks at the soldier in the corner to my left and nods at him. I turn my head to watch him pull his gloves on snugly and stride up to me, giving me a punch in the gut that knocks the air outta my lungs. I cough and wheeze for a minute, trying to breathe as she asks the next question.

"You mentioned yesterday you were a raid command ship. Does this mean you have superiors you answer to, and if so, who?"

"Yes, and fuck off, I ain't telling."

The same soldier steps up and gives me another punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me again.

While I'm catching my breath Karla repeats the question, and once I have enough wind in me to form a sentence I look over at the soldier who stands ready. "You sure know how to steal my breath away. Hit me any harder and I might just start to like it!"

At this point I'm simply following the rules laid out for the fleet by Enterprise. One of which being "if captured, don't tell 'em a damn thing about our command structure".

I continue to be belligerent for two hours, earning myself a punch for each of the dozens of smartass answers I came up with. Eventually they just pack it up and leave, with my dad staying behind like he did yesterday.

"Why are you so stubborn? Just tell them what they want to know and you won't be hurt like this."

"Because, if I tell them what they want to know, not only will they have no reason to keep me alive, but the Fog will have a reason to kill me." I respond, tasting copper.

"If you were one of them why would they kill you?"

"Even the Fog have rules. You think I'd willingly take a beating like this? No. I'm just trying to stay alive, from both parties."

" . . . . . What elementary school did my daughters go to?" He suddenly asks me, changing the subject.

"Dufur school, from elementary to high school."

"You claim to be my daughter, and admittedly your replies have been spot on. If that is true though, why would the fog take people captive. All they do is kill!"

"To learn, and for more ships. Tell _no one_."

"To learn? That is the point of your mental models, is it not? And what do you mean more ships?"

I glance nervously at the door before responding. "The Fog still don't have a grasp on what tactics are, so they capture people and use them to expand that knowledge. And as for what I mean by more ships… when they kidnap people they give them a choice to fight with them or die."

"You are saying that the Fog is forcing people to fight for them? A form of mind control, brainwashing?" He asks me, clearly intrigued and worried all at once.

"Brainwashing? Not even close. They implant them with a union core, and after that if the person doesn't fight all they have to do is give the union core a kill code. The nanomaterials injected into the blood simply turn to sand, and they die a very slow and miserable death."

"I see. And if what you say is true, and you are . . . . Who you say you are. You were attacked or captured and had this done to you then?" He asks,shivering slightly at my description.

"Yeah. It's me pops. I… I know there's probably a lot of damage on my head but… I was just following orders."

"That phrase gets used so often." He says with a heavy breath. "How?"

I grin, looking up at him with a mischievous smile. "Well… I uh… the tuna were in close and I wanted to go fishing."

"I see. . . . .I'll keep trying for those clothes." He says, turning toward the door.

"Hey." I grab his attention. "I know I've never said it much, but… I love you. Thanks for being a dad, instead of a father."

He shakes his head as he leaves, a tear flying off and landing on the floor as the door closes behind him without a word.

* * *

Once again I'm left alone for the rest of the day. That night though it's like they cranked the heat way up, and come morning I'm dripping with sweat, having not been able to sleep the entire night.

At 0900 sharp the door is opened, and Karla walks in. I expect to see my dad behind her, but only the two soldiers come in after her, pushing that covered cart so that it's near me. Karla once again sets up the video camera and starts recording before doing her usual beginning spiel.

"This is interrogation three of Fog subject zero-zero-four. Today is March eleventh, 2056. The time is nine-oh-six. The people in the room are Lieutenant Karla Huffner, Sergeant Maximilian Brown, Sergeant Michael Houston, and subject four."

She looks over her shoulder at me and grins before looking back at the camera. "Today is also a DOD-approved experiment involving the introduction of exterior electricity currents to Fog."

At first I don't understand what she's talking about, and then the soldiers pull the cover off the cart.

"A battery and jumper cables? Are you kidding me?"

"There's more where that came from. Now, give your name and ship class."


	9. Chapter 9: A welcome surprise

**[A/N]: Here's another chapter! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Arpeggio Of Blue Steel,**

 **Also, check out Touhoufanatic's fic Daemons Of The Fog, if you haven't already**

* * *

"And I do believe that concludes interrogation five of Fog subject zero-zero-four. Results from test three show that Fog have a human-like resistance to electrical current, and for safety sake we limited the current of this test to a maximum of two hundred milliamps for six seconds, with a minimum of one-oh-five for fifteen seconds."

"You… sadistic bitch…" I groan, breathing heavily from the repeated shocks that I've endured for the past hour.

"Just tell us what we want to know and we won't have to shock you." She shrugs nonchalantly, pulling the SD card out of the camera and pocketing it. "See you in a few hours~!"

She walks out, being followed out by the two soldiers. Once she's gone I fully relax, slumping to fully hang by my arms.

"Timer, four hours, begin." I mumble, feeling completely exhausted. A small holopanel appears in midair a couple feet away, counting down from four hours.

' _Better sleep while I can…'_

* * *

The sound of the door opening wakes me up, and when I look up slowly I find my dad closing the door behind him.

"Christ… is it time for me to roleplay a spark plug again...?" I groan, not bothering to move.

"Nope, but I got you some clothes. Hopefully they still fit." He pulls a bag off his shoulder and drops it to the floor. "I've got a pair of keys for your cuffs too."

"Oh God thank you." I mutter under a sigh of relief. He walks over to me and undoes the cuffs, allowing me to drop to the floor before he helps me into a chair and hands me a shirt.

I try to raise my arms up, but find myself completely unable to do so. He seems to notice this, and slides the shirt down over my head so I have an easier job getting my arms into the sleeves.

Then he undoes the cuffs on my ankles and throws me a pair of underwear, for which I am grateful until he wrinkles his nose. "Ugh, you smell worse than your gym bag at home."

"Well, since my clothes got taken away I don't have any spare nanomaterials that I could use for hygiene, sooooo yeah." I mutter shamefully while slipping on the undergarments. Finally he throws a pair of cargo pants and zips up the bag. "I won't ask you to get strung up again. If you want to run…"

"No. I don't want you to lose your job and get charged with treason. Go ahead, slap 'em on." I hold out my wrists and smile at him, leaving him shocked for a second before he reluctantly puts the cuffs on and helps me stand. I shuffle over to the shackle on the wall and try my best to hold my arms up while he struggles to secure the lock.

I'm about to jokingly offer if he wants me to help when a grate on the ceiling comes crashing down with a clatter, with the fleets resident sociopath sitting on it rubbing her butt as she got up and brushed herself off.

"Ah, fucking grate, of all the ones to break its the smallest one of course! Bloody useless human engineering I oughta-"

My dad turns around and drops the keys in shock, staring at Scylla while I hang from the unlocked shackle. "Holy shit Scylla. Of all the people I thought I'd never be glad to see. And dressed as a fuckin' ninja no less."

Scylla turns around to me with a grin. "Oh, Alaska, I didn't expect to find you so quickly honestly. Huh, that might make things-" she stops as she suddenly sees my dad. "Sweet, I get to kill someone now." She says as her metal arm forms a Glowing dark green blade out of its back.

"Scylla if you lay a finger on him so help me God I will tear you to ribbons."

Scylla stops before talking even a full step and just looks at me, then at my dad then back to me. "Do I really need to explain why being seen at this point is a bad thing?"

"No, but this is my dad, and he's chill. I know for a fact that he won't say anything."

Scylla scowls and looks at my dad, who at this point already has a hand on his sidearm, out of her sight. "I swear to whatever lives in the dark abyss if an alarm goes off in the next day I'm flooding these halls with blood!" She states, before the glowing blade disappears from her arm and she stands up straight.

"Dad, please, take these damn cuffs off before sparky or whatever the fuck her name is comes back."

Breaking eye contact from Scylla he removes his hand from his sidearm and bends over, grabbing the keys before helping me into a seat.

"May as well get back up there honestly then." Scylla suddenly says. "We don't have a way out just yet, and I still haven't found our other objective. So I may have to leave you here for a bit longer."

"Scylla? I just spent three days being experimented on as a punching bag and a glorified spark plug. Shut the fuck up please."

She just shrugs and leans against the wall for a moment, seeming to take in the room.

With a click the handcuffs fall to the floor, and then I feel the cuffs on my ankles loosen up a second later. I try to stand, but find I really can't keep myself steady enough.

"There. I'll leave. Is there any help you need?" He asks me.

"There is one thing."

"What?"

"Pistol."

He sighs and removes the pistol from the holster, handing it to me. "I only have one magazine."

"That's fine."

 _*WHAP!*_

I strike him in the back of the head with the pistol after giving him a kiss, knocking him unconscious.

"... What part of we have no way out yet, and I haven't found our other objective did you miss?" Scylla said as she looked at my dad with a neutral expression, as if totally unaffected by what I just did.

"What other objective…?" I ask, stuffing the pistol in my waistband.

"The tablet aurora picked up, it had information on a weapon. A land based turreted Electromagnetic Pulse Cannon, capable of reaching nearly two hundred kilometers away from shore. It would paralyze Mental models for a time, or completely kill us Hybrids. Brisky wants it either deactivated or destroyed before we get you out of here. And we've only been here for about a day now. I've only searched half the base for it"

"He wouldn't know where it is, but let's get out of here, help me up."

"Haaa, We're going to set off so many fucking alarms." Scylla complains as she crouched down under the hole she fell through.

"Well… things _might_ go smoothly for once, but yeah, I'm not hopeful."

"Ugh. Either get up there or chain yourself back up." Scylla says with a growl as she looks at me and then up at the hole in the ceiling.

"I'm working on it, as I said, I'm not exactly in the best of condition right now!" I groan while standing up. I limp over to Scylla and put my foot on her shoulder, boosting myself up rather painfully into the vent. "If we don't have a ride outta here yet then at least -nngh- tell me we have a place to hide."

"Um, kind of. It was sent to me a few minutes ago. But it's just one of the dorm rooms, and if alarms start going off they might get searched," Scylla explained as I climb up into the vent, almost catching on the rough edges.

"Well then let's not set any off, yeah?" I chuckle, my voice slightly reverberating in the air duct.

"Talk quieter!" Scylla hisses as she leaps up and climbs into the vent, only to turn around and do something, the sound like a cable, then a blow torch. "There, they shouldn't notice now. Maybe they'll think you left through the door. Head that way, there's a larger areas where you can sit down if you need it while i try to figure where to go, and where that room is."

I move in the direction indicated, sliding my sore limbs on the metal to avoid banging. Eventually we do indeed reach a larger area, and I take a breather while Scylla looks at schematics. Then an idea dawns on me.

"Hey, you got a way to make it seem like I'm escaping? If we can make it seem like I've stolen a car or something then that'll draw their attention elsewhere after we're already in the dorm." I whisper, looking over at her hopefully.

"Um, I didn't see to many cars around. If we could rig some kind of control to one of the PT boats at the docks it might work. Could strap a bomb on it to, just for some more effect."

"Pffft, you've got all you need for a control method right there in your arm. If we can get it out to the strait and then have it just randomly stop, that should do it."

"Hmm, might have enough extra material on me. But I might lose my shoes or pants though".

"For God sake keep your pants on. I only need like a shoelace worth to make it work."

"Oh, that's fine then, though I could just make shorts if need be. We'll need to get over to the engineering warehouse, that's where I stashed some. . . . presents I found. And the PT's were just outside it. . . . unless they went out to sea already."

"Let's just focus on getting to the dorm for now. I haven't hardly slept as of late."

"Fine, this way." Scyla says as she jumps up and crawls into an air duct, making it looks easy as she grumbles to herself. "And here I was hoping to execute an entire science division tonight."

* * *

When it's time to make a break for the dorm Scylla and I come down from the roof. While I admit it felt kinda badass, I was really too tired to care too much about it. She stayed up on the roof while lowering me on a thin cable from her arm, and once we were sure it was the correct room I lifted the window open.

With a clumsy roll I let go of the cable and look up at the ceiling, really feeling every single minute of torture that was inflicted upon me.

Then a familiar face peers down at me from the corner of my peripheral vision, followed by a meek, yet concerned voice. "Alaska…? You alright?"

I nod and grunt, trying to catch my breath. "Yeah. I think."

Then Cheyenne enters my field of view, peering down at me with a shocked expression. "My word… what did they do to you…?"

"Torture. Literal. Fucking. Torture."

"Then she decked her old man," Scylla suddenly said as she swung down through the window and sat on its sil. "It was great!"

"Why are you dressed like a sporty ninja?" I hear Mobile ask from somewhere off to my left.

"Because it fits! Why else?" Scylla chirps. "So, Alaska was serious about not staying in her cell and being an outlet, but I still haven't found that gun yet, so I'm going to go do that. She's your problem now!"

I hear a quiet crunch of boots on gravel outside, and decide to start the conversation with a bombshell for Roberts and Cheyenne. "Mobile, I now understand why you kill people so willingly, and if I find the bitch that lead those interrogations she is _done_."

"Heh, no offense but right now you don't look like you could kill a fly."

I glare at her before sitting up, and when I stretch my arms Cheyenne wrinkles her nose. "Yuck! You smell like sweat!"

"I don't wanna talk about it, just get me to a shower or something. And Mobile, that's why I borrowed this." I raise the back of my shirt to show her the pistol before Cheyenne starts to help me up. We manage to get me standing and Cheyenne starts steering me towards a door in the corner of the room.

"Come on, we'll get you an actual shower."

"You want me to let everyone know we've got her? I'm sure everyone will be able to relax a little." Roberts asks, putting a pink eraser under the window so it's just slightly open.

"Send Enterprise and Intrepid a message." Cheyenne responds, helping me limp through the threshold into the bathroom.

"Aaand sent."

After a nanomaterial-assisted shower I manage to get myself dressed using some loaned nanomaterials from Roberts and crash on her bed, abandoning my previous plan to make a faked escape.

I keep my father's sidearm close by, and the second my head hits the pillow I'm out like a light.

* * *

I'm awoken by Roberts, who has a cautious gaze in the low-light conditions. "Gunshots by the dome. Be ready in case we gotta hide you or squirt outta here."

I give a sleepy nod and sit up slowly, my aching body protesting even the smallest of movements. Across the room Cheyenne is snoring softly, and Mobile is sitting on the edge of her bed, continuously changing the blade style of a knife in her hand while staring at the door expectantly.

"Those were five-five-six from the sound of 'em, muffled too so they might've been inside the dome." Mobile mumbles absentmindedly, barely loud enough for us to hear her.

"I thought they were pistol shots. Shows just how much I know." Roberts shrugs and moves over to wake up Cheyenne. "Oh yeah, and Alaska? Enterprise wanted me to thank you for turning off your distress signal."

"Uhh… I turned it off?" I ask, pulling up a holopanel in front of me. "Yeah, no. I didn't turn it off. It's still running on level two."

"Run a diagnostic."

…

"Uhhh… I think there's something wrong with my core." I state very matter-of-factly.

"No shit? Run a diagnostic." Roberts snips back.

"That's the thing. It's not working."

"What do you mean it's not working? It's a union core, not a laptop." Mobile asks, looking at me.

"I mean it's _not, fucking, working_. The diagnostic won't start. That, combined with the fact that my klein field is still at ninety-four percent saturation and the fact that I still hurt like hell all point to something being _seriously_ wrong with my core."

"Hold still hun', I'll run a diagnostic for you." Cheyenne yawns, having been shaken awake by Roberts. She walks over to me and places her hands on my shoulders, holding them there for a minute or so before she lifts them off. "My God… Most of your communications systems are nonfunctional, your medical systems are functional, but at this point they're keeping you alive and nothing more. And your klein field generator is nonfunctional."

"Guess the electricity did a lot more than they thought…" I mutter, putting my head in my hands. "Why does this shit always happen to me?"

"Heh. You get used to things going to hell after a while. Some of us just have the devil's luck." Mobile chuckles darkly, turning the knife she was holding into a wristwatch. "I'm starting to think I was just having a flashback of some sort. We haven't heard any sort of alarm, and there haven't been anymore gunshots."

"But I heard 'em too. Maybe Scylla had a run-in with a guard?"

"I don't know, but stay ready. She might be working on her second objective."

We continue to all sit there for a while. Each minute dragging on seemingly endlessly, until the wailing of an alarm breaks the silence.

Mobile straightens up attentively, then after a few seconds of muttering to herself she stands up. "Alright, we've got a way out of here. Let's move."

We all rise quickly, and as I tuck the pistol into my waistband Roberts grabs hold of me, lifting me off my feet and shifting me into a bridal carry.

"Shall we?"

"I hate playing the damsel in distress, but yeah let's do it."

Cheyenne grabs the window and holds it open for Roberts and I. Roberts squeezes my legs to my chest in order to fit both of us through, and we fall onto the grass with a gentle crunch. Mobile and Cheyenne jump down behind us, with the latter turning the landing into an elegant twirl, dropping into a crouch to watch while Mobile leads on.

At first nobody bothers us, but when an academy student runs up to us and grabs Robert's arm, trying to steer us towards a nearby building, Mobile completely blows cover, turning her wristwatch into a K-bar and stabbing the guy in the throat. His hand lets go of Roberts and flies up to his throat, trying to stop the bleeding as he crumples to his knees.

Not one of us say anything. Cheyenne kicks him in the chest and sends him sprawling while Roberts continues to run, carrying me. We get noticed by a soldier, and he starts to run towards us, but an explosion rocks the base, and he changes his mind, instead running towards the site of the explosion.

Mobile diverts us through an alley, towards the docks, and after a brief breather we run through the docks, somehow evading any soldiers Mobile doesn't kill, and as we approach what I'm told is our destination the domed structure above the academy explodes, sending pieces of metal and concrete showering all over the area as we scramble for a small office-looking building.

"We're almost there! Down the stairs, then kill 'em all!" Mobile cheers, leading the way down the stairs.

"Alright put me down." I tell Roberts, and thankfully she puts me on my feet without protest. I pull the pistol out of my waistband and pull the slide back enough the check if it has one in the chamber. Finding the chamber empty I scowl and pull the slide all the way back before letting it jerk forward, inserting a round into the chamber.

' _Come on old man, you know better!'_

Seeing my change in attitude Roberts motions for me to take the lead, and I follow behind Mobile, holding the pistol as my dad taught me.

Up above explosions can be heard, and the floor vibrates with every decent blast. Another explosion down the stairwell slows Mobile and I down to a slow walk. I pat her on the shoulder and take the lead with the pistol, walking through an open door into a large room. The biggest mistake I make is not checking to the sides.

"Hello there Alaska. Hands up!" A familiar feminine voice barks to my left. I pivot on one foot and raise the gun, to find Karla standing there, a pistol pointed at me. "I'm going to give you a chance. Give up now and we won't experiment on you any fur-"

I put the sights on her chest and pull the trigger twice, the shots echoing through the drydock as she drops to the ground. I walk towards her quickly, taking long strides until I'm above her.

Then, staring her in the eyes, I fire the first round into her stomach, then the second, and the third. I kick her in the side and shoot her in the shoulder.

"It hurts, doesn't it, bitch?! It's not so enjoyable now that you're on the receiving end!" I fire a round into her other shoulder before emptying the rest of the magazine into her chest, watching her writhe in pain with a grin on my face.

I kick her again before I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, let's get out of here before the whole base descends upon us." Cheyenne mutters, a look of fear in her eyes.

' _What does she have to be scared of…? Oh.'_

I nod and look back down at the writhing lieutenant before picking up her pistol. "You're not worthy of mercy bitch, but here it is."

With that, one final shot echoes across the drydock, and I drop the pistol next to the now still corpse, feeling oddly accomplished.

"Ignoring the bloody pointless mercy killing, would you gals get over here already!? As soon as the doors fully open there'll be enough water to cut these clamps and get out of here!" Scylla yells from aboard the Fog heavy cruiser.

I start to step away from the corpse, then think twice and grab the pistol off of her, taking the nearly full magazine for good measure. Then I follow everyone up to the ship, across a walkway that Mobile made, to where Scylla is standing on the deck.

"I'll give you credit Scylla, you sure know how to raise hell." I chuckle, exchanging the pistol magazines and stuffing the empty one in my pocket. "So where's the Fog whom we owe our escape to?"

"I ate her." Scylla shrugs as the AA guns along the superstructure start cutting away the clamps holding the ship in the drydock. I stare at her to see if she's joking, but her expression is completely serious.

"You _what_?" Mobile asks, sounding slightly shocked. Before Scylla can answer the clamps holding the ship aloft break, and the entire ship drops from under our feet, falling at least a couple feet and dropping all of us on the deck except for Scylla.

"I ate her. Broke down her core and consumed it. Her core was damaged and she wouldn't survive being moved. So she asked me to consume her core so I could control her body and take it out of human hands."

"Well… That's… certainly something." I mutter, standing up with the help of the railing. "But storytime can wait, let's get out of here before we get blockaded."

"Enterprise is launching planes to flatten this drydock once we're out of here." Roberts reports. "And Guam is leading a flotilla to cover us once we reach the strait."

"Probably won't need it." Scylla says with a shrug as she literally jumps up from the deck onto the top of the superstructure, just as the ship begins to slowly move forward. "I might have lit half the dock on fire with flaming munitions from the shore gun and warehouse."

"There's more lining the strait. Lots of 'em. Tell E to swing the planes south over the Olympic peninsula, there's some anti-aircraft batteries along the strait." I tell Roberts as I start towards the superstructure.

I foolishly try to open a comms link with Scylla, and almost instantly I'm slammed with a massive migraine, causing me to stumble and grab onto the nearest object to steady myself, which is a pit shield for an Oerlikon mount.

"You okay, I felt a twinge." Scylla asks curiously.

"Yeah I'm fine." I say almost as a automatic response. "Just a headache. Could you give me controls for one of the five-inch mounts?"

"Oh good idea. I'll pass out controls for the guns. Be careful though, as this ship is slaved, there's a delay for like, everything!"

"No, not system controls, I mean like, actual physical controls. My core's fucked up and I don't want to push my luck."

"Oh. That explains the twinge then. Creating some controls now. Might be a bit stiff though."

I climb up the ladders and stairways to the wheelhouse, where there's multiple sets of joysticks set up along the front of the wheelhouse, though not clearly labeled it's easy enough to figure out which joystick controls which gun, and I grab the controls for the fore superfiring five-inch mount. "Good enough for me! So long as I'm not twiddling my thumbs!"

"This'll be just like a video game!" Mobile cheers, grabbing controls for one of the main turrets.

We sail straight out of the dry-dock and immediately come under fire from a guided missile destroyer. I quickly slew my gun over to aim at it and fire, but due to my malfunctioning core and awkward positioning of the ship the dual lances of plasma go wide, flying clean over the ship without doing anything.

"Hey Alaska, you missed." Roberts snickers.

"Shut up, it's not easy for me right now!"

"No it's the ship." Scylla suddenly says. "Because it's slaved to my core it's like a secondary connection, so everything lags a bit. It makes it a bit hard to steer actually."

"Plus I don't actually have a way to aim this thing. I just kinda have to point it in the general direction and adjust off the shots." I grumble, adjusting the gun down slightly and firing again, only for it to splash short.

"Hey Alaska, you missed again."

I let go of the turret controls and step to the side. "You want to try? I don't see you doing anything."

"Nah I'm good. I've got my ship on the way with Guam right now."

I step back to the controls and fire again after another adjustment, this time the shots hit home in the superstructure of the ship, and I make one final adjustment before laying into the destroyer, perforating it along the waterline until it explodes.

"Good shot!" Mobile cheers, firing the superfiring main turret at a frigate anchored nearby. The ship explodes with the first salvo and immediately starts to sink, the deck burning all the while.

And just like that, the resistance to our exit stops. No missiles are shot at us. No shore guns sling projectiles at us. The only sounds are those of ammunition cooking off and the fires raging on the pier, and as we put some distance between us and my would-be prison, even those fade away. I leave the wheelhouse and descend to the deck, heading fore to the bow and sitting down on a mooring bollard.

I sit there for hardly a minute before hanging my head and letting the tears flow freely.

' _I wanna go home…!'_


	10. Chapter 10: Big Game

**[A/N]: Alrighty y'all. I'm just gonna get down to brass tacks here. The lack of feedback despite the huge number of views is discouraging. I've got an extra few chapters stored away, but if y'all don't enjoy the story then I'm gonna stop writing it. I don't want to do that, given that Touhoufanatic's story '** _ **Daemons of the Fog'**_ **parallels mine, but I've got other stories that I've left to collect dust in favor writing of this one.**

 **I'm not asking for in-depth reviews, though they would be nice. I just want feedback. Do you like it? If not, why? Any questions regarding the story?**

 **That is all. Enjoy the chapter, or don't.**

* * *

Upon our arrival back at the fleet I walk across from Scylla's 'borrowed cruiser' to Hope's ship, having Roberts help me, since my Klein Field is still inoperable.

Naturally, Samoa wraps me up in a hug the second my feet touch the deck, babbling incoherently about how worried she was. I just hug her and rub her back to calm her down, and then once she's calmed down I send her over to Guam just to keep her out of my hair long enough for Hope to get me fixed up.

On my way down to the medical bay I run into the new girl.

"Jesus, what happened to you? You look like hell."

"Thanks. I'm Alaska, and you are…?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Mi-err… Kako. Furutaka-class heavy cruiser."

"Nice to meet you Kako. To answer your question, I'm just saying one thing. Do, not, get, captured. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to see Hope." I start to brush past her, but she grabs my shoulder and stops my movement.

"I asked you a question. I expect you to answer it. What did they do to you?"

"You'd best check your attitude before it gets you knocked on your ass. They beat the hell out of me and hooked me up to a car battery. Happy?" I grit my teeth and look down the hall, waiting for her to let go.

"What? But… That's torture! The Navy wouldn't do that!" She yells, evidently shocked.

"Well they did. So are you going to let me go? Or am I going to have to remove your hand?" She lets go of me slowly, as if stunned by my report of being tortured, and before I walk away I sigh. "You might want to rethink how humans are going to treat us. Let me know when you come to terms with reality."

With that I walk away, heading through the narrow pathways to the medical bay.

"Hope! Doc, where you at?!"

A clap down the hall can be heard, and a holopanel lights up on the floor, pointing the way to an open door. When I reach the door I find Hope sitting inside, a worried and pained expression on her aging face. "Yes what is- Goodness what happened!?"

"Electricity and… just torture in general, but that's not the big problem Doc, something's seriously wrong with my core."

"Sit. Sit down. I'll run an in-depth diagnostic, and then we'll get you fixed up." Hope orders immediately, pointing to an examination table.

I sit down and four different panels appear in front of Hope, flashing various information across them. I can't tell what any of it means, but given the look of alarm in her eyes I can guess that it isn't good. Finally once the information is done she bolts to her feet and grabs a syringe from the nearby cupboard. "I'm taking you into surgery immediately. Your core has been on emergency functions for the past fifteen hours."

"So you're replacing my core?" I ask.

"No, just some components, now hold out your arm."

I do as instructed, and she deftly jams the needle into my arm, injecting the anesthetic before I can so much as squeak.

"I'll never understand how you're so good at that…" I'm perfectly coherent at the beginning of my sentence, but by the end of it I'm heavily slurring my words and am struggling to stay awake.

"Practice my dear. Practice."

* * *

" _Hey Pops, do you think we'll ever be able to drive the Fog away?"_

" _Definitely. It's the human way to overcome problems."_

" _But… Most of our weapons don't even scratch them! How are we supposed to win?"_

" _We will find a way. We have to."_

* * *

 **[Union Core Reinitialization]**

 **[1%]**

 **[2%]**

… **.**

 **[98%]**

 **[99%]**

 **[100%]**

 **[Union Core Reinitialization Complete.]**

 **[ERROR: Data corrupted or lost.]**

 **...**

 **[Medical Override Accepted.]**

* * *

As I open my eyes I immediately notice two things, one being I feel really good. I don't ache, or hurt. The second thing being I can't move. My arms and legs simply refuse to move, even though I can move my fingers and toes.

"Hooooope!" I whine, understandably uncomfortable with being paralyzed.

"I'll be there in a moment!" I hear Hope yell from down the hall out the open door. Roughly a minute later she moves into the doorway, then moves to sit in the chair beside the bed. "How do you feel?"

"I can't move my arms or my legs, but otherwise I feel fine."

"Oh, that should pass in a few minutes. Your motor functions were temporarily shut down during the overhaul process."

"Overhaul? You said you were only replacing a couple components!"

"That was before I spent five days replacing components and troubleshooting what was wrong with your core. The old components kept malfunctioning, which caused new components to malfunction… put simply it was a mess. I finally made the decision to replace everything to prevent further problems."

"Oh… That's understandable. Thanks again Hope. I owe you one... again."

"Nonsense, you don't owe me a thing. I'm simply doing my part."

"In any case, thank you."

"You're quite welcome, now hold still while I check your vitals."

"I don't think I have a choice." I joke, grinning at her. That seems to break the gloomy mood, because she smiles and chuckles in amusement.

"No, you really don't."

After concluding my check up, Hope sends me to Brisky. The soviet-era battleship sits in its usual place beside Intrepid, but to my surprise, beside it is also a heavy cruiser, with a familiar sigil on it.

' _Did Scylla get an upgrade? And why is she anchored next to Brisky?'_

I continue onto the battleship, and the instant my feet touch the deck I'm dragged into a concept comms room, standing before Brisky, whose scowl sends a shiver down my spine. "What is it you need?"

I straighten my posture and do my best to act official. "I was told by Hope to report to you following my core overhaul. I no longer possess my Alaska-class assignment due to the overhaul, and if possible I would like to request a more powerful ship."

She looks me over with those cold, calculating eyes before taking a sip from a cup of tea on the table. "You do know that the Alaska-class is the most powerful ship we can give hybrids without consulting the admiralty, yes?"

"Yes ma'am. But given my usual position as a raid command ship, I feel that at times the Wave Force Armor of the Alaska-class was somewhat lacking, as evident by the most recent situation I was involved in."

"... I will consult the admiralty. You will be left unassigned until the admiralty reviews your service history and produces a verdict. Dismissed."

Before I can respond she ends the comms room, and I jog across her deck, climbing up a holopanel stairway to Intrepid's deck. Finding the flight deck completely empty I head for the conning tower, descending the stairs to the lobby, where everyone is laughing and joking. I stick to the edge of the room until I hear Enterprise cheer.

"Hey y'all! Look who's back!"

I had wanted some time to think. Some time to myself, but I'm swarmed by people from both fleets, welcoming me back and joking with me. I put on my best smile and go along with it, even going as far as joining them for a game of pool, but after a while I drift away from the usual festivities and head up to the flight deck, moving astern to sit on the end of the flight deck, with my legs hanging over the edge.

' _Why did I kill her? No, why did I torment her like that?! And why did it feel so right?!'_

For at least another hour my internal struggle continues, until it's interrupted by a voice behind me.

"You look like a bridge jumper when you sit like that you know."

"Hmmm? Oh, hey Guam. What's up?"

"Don't "what's up" me, I know something's wrong in that head of yours. Talk to me, I can help." Guam sits down next to me, looping an arm over my shoulder.

"It's nothing, I'm just… Homesick. I'm so close to home, to seeing my Mom, and Dad, and even my dog, but I feel so far away." I lie, yet I also tell a partial truth.

"I know how you feel. When we were near Florida I was so close to home I could've put a shell through my front door. But the fleet is home now, and that run-down shack in Florida is just a place I stayed."

"... How come you don't hate people like Topeka, or Mobile? Surely there was bandits and the like."

"Because where I lived everyone had enough trouble surviving the damn gators and snakes. To hell with the bandits." That draws a laugh out of both of us, and Guam squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. "Remember, we're one big family here. You can talk to me at any time."

"Thanks. I'll let you know if I need you."

"Good. Now come on, let's go party."

"I'm actually going to sit out here for a little longer. I'm kinda also waiting for Brisky to get back to me 'bout somethin'." I respond, leaning back so I'm laying down with my legs dangling off the edge.

"Ah, alrighty then. Anything I should be worried about?"

"Nah, let me do the worrying."

"'Kay then, don't try to get yourself killed." Guam says with a serious tone as she gets up and starts sauntering away.

"Right! Because I totally have to try!"

A couple hours after my chat with Guam the sun is starting to set, casting a warm orange glow over the water. I'm sitting atop Intrepid's conning tower -after asking permission of course- when I'm sucked into a concept comms room with Brisky and one other Fog, both of whom sit across a small table, looking at me expectantly.

I straighten my posture and salute them out of respect, knowing that a single fuckup could get me fried.

The other Fog mental model smiles and salutes me back before motioning to the chair across from her. I take my cue and sit down in it before she starts speaking.

"Hello Alaska. I do not believe we've met before. I am the East Pacific Fleet Flagship, Montana."

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, but I manage to maintain my composure. "It's an honor to meet you Montana. Enterprise has always spoken highly of you."

She smiles and leans forward, resting her elbows on the table. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Enterprise always has high praise of you included in her monthly reports. But enough of the ego stroking. You wish for a stronger ship than your previous assignment, yes?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Well, I normally wouldn't allow such a change." I stiffen up, and she smiles even wider. "However, due to your excellent combat record, I suppose I can permit it, so long as it's not an Iowa-class."

"As preparation for this I have prepared four choices-" Brisky starts, but she's silenced by Montana.

"No. I want her to choose. She has sufficiently earned this."

Brisky looks at Montana for a second before unenthusiastically nodding her head. "As you wish." Then, she looks at me. "Choose wisely."

I think for a minute, then my sister's rambling pays off, and I think of the next best thing to the Iowa.

"South Dakota-class battleship."

Brisky scowls at me and opens her mouth to say something, but she's cut off by Montana laughing heartily.

"A wise choice! I knew you were a smart one!" She pulls up a holopanel with at least two dozen lines of zeros and ones on it and modifies one or two numbers before swiping it in my direction. It disappears before it can hit me, and Montana grins like a lottery winner. "With your new ship I have a new secondary directive for you."

"Yes ma'am?"

"You are to hunt down those pesky human battleships, and sink them. When you aren't performing raids, that is what I expect you to do, and you have my permission to patrol solo to do so. Do you have any questions?"

"No ma'am." I add in a shake of my head for good measure, and Montana leans back, stretching her arms above her head.

"Excellent! Dismissed!"

With that I'm back atop Intrepid's superstructure, propped up on my arms, watching the sunset.

I get to my feet with a smile on my face and stretch before descending the conning tower. I find both Intrepid and Enterprise relaxing in the sun on the flight deck.

"Hey E. All those things you said about Montana? You're full 'a shit. She's awesome!"

"Eh? How would you know? You've never met her!"

"Except I have. I just got out of a concept comms room with her and Brisky."

"Oh Jesus, you're not in trouble, are you?" Intrepid asks, looking somewhat alarmed.

"Nah, I actually just got an upgrade. Guess who's now the biggest, baddest mother in the fleet? Aside from E. of course."

"You? But you were always that way." Enterprise raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but this is a serious upgrade over my battlecruiser. I'm a damn battleship now!"

"Bullshit." Enterprise spits out in denial.

"You don't have to take my word for it, I'm about to go get 'er built." I shrug and start walking away, headed for one of the two nanomaterial tankers.

I walk across the open water to Atascosa, and find the eighteen year old strawberry blonde laying in a beach chair on her deck.

"Hey Atty." I make my presence known, and she lifts her sunglasses before looking at me.

"Oh, hey Alaska. What's up?"

"Well, I just got an upgrade, and I need some nanomaterials… Okay, maybe a lot of nanomaterials."

"The hold's open, take all you need. Sorry to say but I'm out of Thanatonium."

"When are you going to go collect more?" I ask, leaning against the railing as I begin construction of my ship. Forming the outer hull, then the inner hull, and the engines.

"Tonight probably. Victoria is running low too, so we might just go together."

As we continue to talk the ship takes shape, the deck forming, followed by the superstructure and the empty gun mounts. Then the turrets start to form, giving the ship its full glory. Lastly is the torpedo bulge and the radar, making the ship complete. My sigil remains unchanged, and the black striped lighting gives the ship some element of camouflage in low-light conditions.

I wrap up my conversation with Atascosa and cross over to my ship, instantly connecting with it when my foot touches the deck. The feeling of connecting with a ship is like chugging an energy drink, and then immediately getting hit with the effects of the caffeine. You suddenly feel alert, and ready for anything. Or like the adrenaline spike when you almost fall down a flight of stairs.

I will the ship forward as I climb to the wheelhouse, preferring to physically get to know the ship inside and out rather than just the gut feeling of where things _should_ be, and once I'm inside the wheelhouse I make my bed, then my chair, and generally get things set up the way I want them before anchoring in my usual spot, near Enterprise on the inside circle surrounding the two carriers. Before my anchor even hits the bottom I can practically hear my sister squealing with glee as she runs across the water, and ultimately prepare myself for her to start nerding out.

She bursts through the port side bulkhead a few seconds later and glomps me, knocking both of us to the floor. As I expected she starts rambling on about how awesome my ship is, and then after a minute or so she gets off of me and helps me up. "How'd you upgrade?!"

I laugh and mess up her hair. "Don't bother, because I got an exception."

"Awww…" She pouts, slumping her shoulders.

"Plus now I've gotta wait for the tankers to go restock on Thanatonium before I can do my conversion. So unless I want to use these guns I'm stuck waiting."

"I can't wait to see the guns fire! Erm… the converted ones, not these."

I mess up her hair a little more before wandering to the windows at the front of the wheelhouse. "Me neither, but I guess we've got no choice but to wait…. How the hell is Scylla doing that…?"

Samoa walks up beside me, and together we both stare in awe at Scylla as she completely defies gravity, walking along her hull parallel to the water, as if she was on a sunday stroll.

"That's some Cheshire cat stuff right there. I honestly don't know, but she was glowing for the past like four days, and Brisky wouldn't let any of us near her."

"Hmmm… Well, I guess the best way to find out would be to go talk to her, yeah?" I start towards the bulkhead, and Samoa follows right behind me, muttering to herself something about ship class.

Together we saunter in Scylla's general direction, watching as she walks all over her ship, along the sides of the hull, then up the side of her superstructure, and then back down to walk along her hull again.

"Scylla!" I call out with a friendly wave. She turns and looks at us as we approach, and I'm so confused by how she's defying gravity that I can't even form the proper sentence to ask her how she's doing so. "What…? How….?"

"Magic!" She gives that big grin of hers and walks up the side of her hull until she's standing upright on the deck. "Long story short, I'm a Mental Model now!"

"... You're joking, right?" Samoa asks in disbelief. In the meantime, I stare at Scylla in shock.

"But… how? I…. just… _what_?!"

"Because I earned it!" Scylla says with a grin as her metal arm presses against her chest, sinks in, and then pulls out a Union core that's dark green with a lighter green glowing symbol on it. She grins and then sticks it back inside herself. "I think that's enough proof eh?"

"... I…. I can't even. Nope, I'm not drunk enough for this shit." I throw up my hands in mock surrender and turn around, walking back towards my ship.

"Being drunk won't help you aim those new guns of yours!" Scylla calls out.

"Maybe so! But it's better than dealing with this!" I yell over my shoulder before stopping in my tracks after a realization dawns on me. I groan and turn around, walking back over to where Samoa still stands. "Whatever. I need to go get some Thanatonium, and I'm not waiting for the tankers to take all night. Care to come along?"

"Sure, I'm not on patrol till a couple days from now anyway." Scylla says without skipping a beat.

"Great! You know where any is? I exhausted my last source before I got captured."

"One sec." Scylla says as a trio of data rings suddenly come out of her and spin around at random for a couple seconds before disappearing. "Got it. There's a mine for the stuff over on Hawaii, and I just got Oktyabrskaya's go ahead to escort you there. She seemed a little miffed though."

"I'm honestly not surprised. During the meeting with Montana she pretty much got told to shut up. Montana gave me complete freedom of choice for my own ship class."

"That sounds fun. Oh, and she's saying to escort our supply ships there too. Crap, this just turned into a supply run!"

"Joy… I'll get underway and tell the tankers to fall in with me." I groan, turning and jogging to my ship.

Once I'm inside the bridge I raise Victoria and Atascosa on a comms channel as I raise the anchor. "Both of you, weigh anchor and follow me. We're making your supply run now, as opposed to later."

 _{Roger that!} {'Kay.}_

 _{Alaska, Samoa and Kako are coming along too.}_ Scylla informs me.

"Alright. Fine by me."

* * *

As we all exit the formation the others move into formation surrounding me, with Scylla leading us. Kako and Samoa make a column with Atascosa and Victoria, making the formation a combination between a battle column and a dual column.

Our carefree, laid-back attitude hardly lasts three hours before Kako and Samoa get into an argument.

 _{I'm just trying to give some pointers!}_

 _{And why should I listen to your advice?! You're a kid! What do you know about naval warfare?! I went to naval academy for six years!}_

 _{I've been studying naval warfare ever since I was ten! You trained for modern ships that use missiles and a tiny gun! We're talking about actual cruisers here! Y'know, ones with big guns, and this thing called armor!}_

 _{Oh really?! Give me a break, you're still just a kid! How about you turn your naive little ass around and stick to escorting the carrier so she can babysit y-}_

"That's ENOUGH!" I yell, thoroughly fed-up with Kako's attitude. "Sis, don't talk to this prissy new girl! Kako, you'd better pull the stick out of your ass or I'm gonna rip it out and beat you with it!"

 _{Oh really? You're gonna kick my ass? And how are you gonna do that!?}_ Upon hearing her laugh I turn my main guns to bear on Kako, and after a minute of silence she speaks up, her voice no longer containing the hostility that it did previously. _{Okay, you win. Sorry.}_

After Kako signs off the communications net I walk up to my wheelhouse, flopping down on my bed, burying my face in my hands, and groaning in frustration. "God damn it these military types are going to be the death of me."

"Nah, you're tough enough."

Startled, I jump up from my bed and wheel around to find Scylla relaxing in my chair. "Jesus Christ- When did you get in here?!"

"Just now. Technically I'm not even here. My core is still on my ship."

I stare at her in confusion for a brief second before flopping down face first onto my bed. "I'm not even going to try to make sense of that. I take it you're enjoying being a mental model?"

"Oh you have no idea! I know where everything is on my ship, can control anything with a tenth of a thought, and can literally be in numerous places as once, like I am right now. Hell, I could probably make a miniature version of myself to do things if I tried hard enough, and having access to the entire Fog Database and network, priceless!"

"That _does_ sound handy." I admit. "What're the requirements?"

"For what? Full Mental Model?"

"Yeah. If I'm going to be hated, might as well go all the way."

"Technically I'm not supposed to say, but pushing yourself to be better and more efficient should help, as should coming to terms with things." Scylla answers, sounding like she's willingly avoiding explaining it.

"Okay… that makes sense. Oh, by the way, I need the designs for those ABM's again. New core memory and all that."

"Oh okay." Sylla says as she snaps her fingers, making a panel appear, showing everything on the ABM's. "Done!"

I save the plans and store them until I have enough materials to build them. "Cheers. Now, if I could figure out a way to change quickly between my conversion and these guns…"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning quickly changing between firing actual shells and the way the guns are now. One's better for shelling shore targets but sucks for naval targets, and vice-versa."

"Heh, that'd take up a lot more room than you think, and after having looked over the Admiralty code, you're lucky you were even allowed to go back to kinetic shells. Even my missile alteration is just barely allowed technically, though even Brisky ignores it because it's insanely useful."

I sit up and lay on my back, putting my hands behind my head. "Precisely why changing between the two would be great. That way I can be efficient, while also being within the limits of the code."

"That'll take a lot of resources and room, even on a battleship." Scylla explains as a pair of panels appear to either side of her, one showing a photon gun, the other a kinetic one. "The two tech's use completely different principles, so you'd need to have both in the same gun, beside each other. And depending on your calibre, either separate barrels or automatically repairing ones. Seems like too much trouble."

"Well, as it is, the shells are made on the level directly below the guns, meaning I've still got plenty of room _if_ you ignore keeping the Thanatonium stores well-protected."

"That'd be up to you really, and considering you're a battleship now, watching those stores detonate would be like new years. Could probably fiddle with an okay middle ground though if you give me your kinetic gun plans."

I quickly pull up the modified plans for my new configuration and send them to her with a swipe of my hand. "Those are the new plans."

A Data ring suddenly pops out of Scylla and the panel gets pulled into it before both disappear again. "I'll look over it with a back processor and see what comes up. Should be done by the end of the supply run I think." Scylla says as she spins in the chair a bit and then stops, tilting to the side. "I wonder if we'll have an encounter on this run, that'd be nice!"

"Well, one of the human battleships was last spotted further south from here, but I doubt they're dumb enough to pick a fight with a group like this."

"Heh, just our two ships could probably take out an entire fleet. . . . .are those two arguing again?"

"I don't know, I muted them. What is it this time?"

"No idea, I muted them too. Let's find out! Oi what are you two buggering on about!?"

 _{She called my seaplane catapult a waste of space!}_ Samoa whines.

 _{It is! There is absolutely no reason for her to have a working seaplane catapult! I mean we're in the jet age!}_ Kako snarls, her attitude back again.

"Tactically speaking she is right." Scylla says calmly "Fog aircraft don't have klein fields and get shot down like flies after all when engaging human fighters and AA. The aerial view can be of use though for scouting I suppose, so it's hit and miss."

"I started using them to observe the fall of shells for indirect fire. I could get away with firing over an island. But yes I do agree, they're weak as hell compared to modern jets… though they do make good remote-controlled bombs." I mutter back.

"They'd be good for that, but catapulting fighters would be a complete waste. Too bad Hybrids can't access the advanced fighter details that some Fog Carriers conceived. Though they've never launched them." Scylla finishes over the comms making both Samoa and Kako quiet for a second.

"Now, are you two done bickering like little children? Or do Scylla and I need to give you both a time-out like the little brats you're acting like?"

"And that means target practice!" Scylla adds with a maniacal grin as half her missile tubes suddenly start opening and closing at random.

 _{I'm done! Please don't hurt me.}_ Samoa squeaks shyly.

 _{Excuse you Alaska?! I'm older than you are!}_

"And? You're still the new girl. How old you are doesn't mean shit." I snap at her, turning my aft main turret to point in her general direction.

"Especially as I'm the head Fog here, so straighten up or we turn this escort mission into a live fire exercise!" Scylla says gleefully just before her expression goes weird. "Oh yeah, how you two girls doing back there?"

 _{All good here, though it'd be better if Kako would shut up.}_

 _{A-Okay here! Are we almost there yet?!}_

Both Atascosa and Victoria respond happily.

"Almost, should be able to see hawaii in a few minutes I think. Humans still live on some of the islands too, so watch out for them taking potshots at ya!" Scylla says, sounding oddly happy, as if expecting something.

 _{Sounds like a good time to me! It's been ages since I last got shot at!}_ Atascosa giggles lightheartedly.

 _{If you're supply you're not supposed to get shot at!}_ Kako exclaims, sounding irked.

 _{Ahh shaddap, it's more fun than you think. Especially when all we ever do is sit with the carriers!}_

 _{We're glorified storage clerks; Let us have some fun too!}_

 _{Getting shot at isn't fun! It's terrifying!}_ Kako yells, sounding more and more appalled by the second.

 _{Speak for yourself! Spoilsport!}_ Atascosa responds.

The radio net falls silent for several minutes, and Samoa then cheers. _{Land Ho! So that's what Hawaii looks like…}_

I get up off my bed and walk to the front window, peering out over the water. "I don't see anything."

 _{I might be using my floatplane… The islands are only forty miles out. Can I move it closer to check out the islands?}_

"Go ahead, but keep a good distance. You don't need to buzz the locals." I respond.

 _{Roger that!}_

"Maybe her plane will get shot down. Then we'll have an excuse to have some fun!" Scylla giggles madly, bringing a smile onto my face.

"Maybe. Though personally I've had enough 'fun' for one week. I wouldn't argue with this supply run going off without a hitch."

"Come on Alaska! You're so boring! Live a little!"

"I _have_ lived a little. I just need a break from it all. I never got any R 'n' R, and before you joke about it, no, I don't count time in a hospital bed as relaxation."

 _{Missile launch! I don't think I can… yeah no, that plane's fucked. Whatever's on Oahu they definitely don't want us finding out what it is.}_

I sigh and walk back to my bed, flopping down face-first with a frustrated groan before grumbling into the sheets. "There's your party Scylla. Let me know when it's over."

"Samoa, did the missile come from the south or north side of the island?" Scylla suddenly asks, sounding oddly serious as she finally gets out of my chair.

 _{North side. I didn't see the launch site, sorry.}_

"Don't worry about it. We'll find 'em." I start, getting up and reclaiming my chair. "We'll find 'em and make 'em regret fighting back."

"Just a minute ago you were talking like you didn't want anything to do with it, why the change?" Scylla asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know, just a feeling I guess. Plus somebody's gotta break in the new girl." I respond with a shrug before speeding up. "Kako, with me. Samoa, Atty, Victoria, Hang back a little, but collect what the fleet needs."

"I'll stay with Samoa and guard the Supply ships. Take a look for what shot down her plane and take it out if possible, but remember you're running low on resources and we don't know what is here." Scylla advises me, sitting down on a backup system I made for controlling my ship. I quickly disconnect it before anything happens, and turn towards the north side of the island, pulling up a small tactical map on a holopanel to make sure Kako is following me.

As we get closer I start communicating with Kako, using a video feed from my primary gun director to get a magnified view of the island.

"Alrighty, we're gonna find the SAM site and put it down. Hold your fire until either we find it or something else starts shooting at us."

 _{...How can you plan to do this so simply? Aren't you scared?}_

I grin, standing up and walking to the front windows of my wheelhouse. "Experience. I used to get scared going into raids, but not anymore, because I'm the biggest and baddest person on the block."

 _{You're a big, fat target.}_ Kako responds in a monotone voice, sounding very unamused.

"Hey now, I take offense to that. I've worked very hard to keep my figure!"

"Alaska, it's possible the missile launch was not from a land based installation, but from a Stealth submarine. Don't move in such a way that will give openings if there are any about. That is, unless you like getting torp'd." Scylla suddenly advises, grabbing my attention in an instant.

I look over to her and give a nod, combined with a thumbs-up. "Roger that. Kako, we're going to slow down. I want you to run active sonar. We've got the possibility of something else sneaking around. Follow me, but keep some distance so we can both maneuver. Samoa, how much surplus nanomaterials do you have reserved for planes?"

 _{Enough for five more. You want me to send another up?}_

"Please. Send me the control code once it's airborne."

 _{One floatplane, coming right up!}_

 _{Those things are obsolete, why are you bothering to use them?}_ Kako asks.

"You'll see. This is like a glorified game of chess. One mistake can cost us the entire game. First smart step, is to take control of the center of the board, with a pawn. Many people think of pawns as being useless, simple cannon fodder to throw at the enemy. However, if you manage to keep a couple pawns until the tail end of the game, they suddenly get much, much more valuable." I respond with a smile, watching the plane fly past my wheelhouse. I receive the control authorization from my sister and have to plane climb up to ten thousand feet.

"Alright Sis, one more plane, set it to fly at five thousand feet, below the one I'm controlling."

 _{Ahhh, I get what you're doing! You got it!}_

"Time to turn the hunters, into the hunted." I mutter to myself with a grin, feeling like the good old days when I would hunt black bear with my dad. That thrilling adrenaline rush of hunting something equally as lethal as you are.

I roll my shoulders and start up my surface radar, running it at full power to try and pick up anything should one of the submarines try to use their periscope.

"Come on, just take a little peek. You know you want to." I mutter to myself, scanning the surface of the water with a pair of binoculars.

Then from the island there's a muffled thump of a large gun being fired, followed shortly after by Atascosa's excited cry.

 _{Woah-ho! That was close! Hey can we shoot back now!?}_

 _{I've got the position of the gun. First salvo… on the way!}_ Samoa cheers before I hear her guns fire. Seconds later a raised portion of trees in the forest on the island erupts in a ball of flame, her first salvo striking the gun position and the surrounding area dead-on.

"Nice shot Sis!" I congratulate her before returning to my sub hunt.

 _{Thanks! Came down right on their heads! They're using disappearing gun mounts camouflaged by false foliage, so you can only really see them when they fire.}_

As if on cue another gun fires from the island. I see the flash and the plume of smoke out of the corner of my eye before a large shell screams in and bounces off the top of my fore superfiring main turret, leaving nothing more than a scratch as it careens out towards the open ocean.

"Huh, these gunners are actually pretty good. I guess I might want to raise my Klein Field." I say absentmindedly, turning all of my secondary guns on the gun position. I start to pound the position with laser fire for a solid ten seconds before I get tired of not getting the desired result, and I turn my main battery on it just as the gun fires again, this time missing by a couple hundred yards. My return salvo with my main guns gets the desired effect when it goes up like a roman candle, sending flaming debris and concrete flying.

Not knowing what could shoot at me next, I raise my Klein Field and put it in a semi-active state.

"Kako, the next gun is yours to kill. Do your best."

 _{...Yes ma'am…}_ Kako responds solemnly, presumably dreading the task.

"You might want to start turning your ship. I've detected four homing torpedoes coming at you. I think you pissed them off." Scylla warns.

I immediately start turning away from the island, towards the direction I expect the torpedoes to be coming from. I grab a set of headphones hanging from the arm of my chair and put them on, giving my engines a burst of power before idling them. I turn one knob on the right earpiece and listen intently, until I hear a pinging sound. Then I depress the knob and keep turning it until I find another.

It doesn't take me long to figure out that I turned _away_ from the pair of homing torpedoes. But by the time I give the engines full power, the torpedoes have all gone into their terminal phase of tracking. They start pinging sonar more and more rapidly as they fine-tune to hit me, and I sit down in my chair to avoid being knocked off my feet just before they impact, the blasts being absorbed by my Klein Field.

"Samoa, Salvo, bearing one-one-six, range fourteen thousand. Time delay on impact, vary between a quarter second and two seconds."

 _{Roger! Standby… ready to fire!}_

"Fire."

Scylla looks at me with a puzzled expression. "What are you doing?"

I watch for the salvo to impact, and when it does the rounds only make small splashes before huge columns of water spew skywards.

I smile when my idea comes together perfectly. "Improvising."

"Improvising what?"

"Depth charges. Samoa, raise sixty, use your secondary battery too and give me a wider spread on those shells."

 _{On the way!}_

With another sharp rumbling Samoa sends more shells flying, and blankets an area roughly four square football fields in size with high-explosive shells.

One of the water columns has a strange coloring to it, and my suspicions are only confirmed when a small slick of something starts to form on the surface of the water.

"Samoa, do you see the slick?"

 _{Yeah.}_

"Good. Give me a concentrated salvo in that area. Either sink 'em or force them to the surface."

The only response I receive is the sound of her guns firing, and after a few seconds the shells all splash down around where the oil slick is gathering. The blasts once again send columns of water skyward, and after everything settles I can see air bubbling to the surface.

"Kako."

 _{Yes?}_

"Finish that sub off with a homing torpedo. There's no point in letting them suffer."

 _{...R-right. One away.}_

Listening on active sonar I hear Kako's torpedo surge through the water, followed by the muffled thump of the torpedo going off.

"Aaaand they're out like a light." I sigh, watching a gigantic bubble breach the surface.

"I-" Scylla speaking grabs my attention, and I look over at her just in time to see one of her eyes flash green before she continues her sentence. "I've caught sight of the other two submarines. Deal with them while I tend to some other… _business_."

I'm just about to acknowledge her order when a large missile flies up out of her deck and angles for… empty sky? I admit the green trail it leaves looks kinda cute, and as I'm watching it climb into the sky Scylla sends me a map update with the general direction of the two remaining subs.

Then, my radar lights up as a missile breaks the surface of the ocean. I quickly pinpoint the location of the breach and send it as a map update to the others, just as a second missile from Scylla intercepts the missile from the sub.

"There, now you know where another sub is. It's all yours!" Scylla cheers.

"You heard 'er! Let's go get 'em! Samoa, stay with Atty and Victoria while they take on materials. Kako, get ready to launch more homing torpedoes."

 _{Roger that Sis!}_

 _{Yes ma'am...}_

As Kako and I turn towards the location of the confirmed submarine I sigh, glancing at Scylla. "In hindsight, we should've brought a destroyer."

No sooner do those words leave my mouth than there's a rumbling the echoes across the water, and I glance over at Samoa in time to watch two shells from a pair of shore guns strike her Klein Field.

 _{Scylla, I think it's time for me to use that missile design you and I worked on!}_ Samoa cheers excitedly. I look over in time to see five missiles shoot out of her deck and arc towards Oahu. All five fly above the island and detonate roughly fifty feet off the ground. Once the smoke clears the air seems to shimmer, and I stare in confusion for a second before it registers in my mind what it is.

"Nanomaterial? What the hell?"

Before I can ask Samoa what she's doing Kako speaks, sounding slightly scared.

 _{Sonar contact! Bearing zero-four-eight! Four torpedoes, angling for you Alaska… wait… no they're after me!}_

"Your Klein field is up, four torpedoes you can take. Mark the subs firing position." Scylla suddenly orders.

The map is suddenly updated with a red circle to indicate a general area, and I just now realize how pointless it is for me to chase submarines right now.

"Samoa, switch with me. I can't do shit until I get some Thanatonium." I order while turning around, heading for the supply ships as my sister speeds up and turns towards me. No sooner does she get turned around than Scylla fires off three missiles that angle towards one of the islands. They plunge into the water, and a few seconds later she fires two more.

"Samoa, Kako. I need you two to work together to take out the other sub. Kako use your sonar to get their general location, and then Samoa I want you to drop shells on their heads."

 _{Hunter-Killer, got it!}_ Samoa chirps back, not really surprising me that she knows the proper name for the tactic.

As Samoa and Kako start working together, trying to pinpoint the location of the final submarine, I join up with Atascosa and Victoria at the Fog mining platform, which pulls Thanatonium and Nanomaterial to the surface from the surrounding seabed and below, much like an oil platform. For the tankers, hoses are lowered by the rig that they hook up to their interior stores, and then the materials are pumped in. For me however, since I'm not a dedicated supply ship the process is slower, due to a thinner hose being used. The hose hooks up to an opening on the side of my superstructure, and it deposits the Thanatonium using a gravity-feed system, rather than a pump.

After only an hour the two tankers have taken on more than four times what I could hold, and are outbound, headed back to the fleet. Meanwhile, I've only filled my stores up halfway.

"You guys can go on ahead. I'm going to run a patrol along the coast on my way back, to see if I can sucker a battleship into a fight."

"You sure you'll be fine in your lonesome? you should probably have either Samoa or Kako stay with you. You're not exactly a sub hunter, and the Humans love using subs along the coast!" Scylla suddenly says as she looks at me, a strange look on her face. Not care, but similar to worry.

I simply shrug. "I'll be alright. I'm not going to stay close. I'm just going to sorta probe near any major ports. Put out bait and see what bites, y'know?"

"Alright" Scyla says as her body suddenly becomes shimmery and begins breaking up into particles that began drifting across the water towards her ship. "Have fun then!" Then she was gone completely.

Sighing I make my way down to the deck and sit down on a bollard, making a fishing rod with a heavy jig on the end of a thin yet strong nanomaterial fishing line. Without anything better to do I drop the jig over the side and spend another forty-five minutes just lifting it up, then dropping it back down, just like I did when I went tuna fishing.

To be honest, I didn't expect to catch anything.

* * *

Four hours after resupplying near Hawaii I'm sailing north up the coast. I stay roughly fifty miles out most of the time, then come closer in to roughly thirty miles whenever I get close to a major port.

San Diego? Nothing comes out. Then I try San Francisco, only to have the same result. Astoria is a total bust too, and I even sail into the Juan De Fuca Strait for a little bit before turning around and heading back out to sea. From there it's almost a straight voyage west to the fleet, a couple hundred miles out.

Except I don't actually get to the fleet. When I'm somewhere around the quarter of the way mark I get an alert from none other than Montana herself.

 **[Human Battleship spotted near human port of Anchorage. Seek and destroy.]**

I send her a message simply reading "acknowledged" and turn towards Anchorage, proceeding at full speed while preparing my primary weapons for surface warfare. This means configuring them to kinetic shells while I build a couple ABM's just to be safe, but I don't plan on needing them.

Nearing the area that the battleship was last seen I open up a communications net with Scylla.

"Hey sorry to bother you, but since you've got access to the Fog network I was wondering if you could help me with learning the habits of these battleships."

 _{Sorry I was in a comm's, what do you need?}_ Scylla replies after a couple seconds, sounding a little strange.

"Info. Could you do a bit of research on any previous engagements with these battleships? I'm hunting one up by Anchorage. There's gotta be some technique or setup they rely on."

 _{Oh yeah sure. One sec. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . looks like an Iowa-class according to reports. They also say it has friends, though the number, mainly destroyers, seems to shift over time. Seems to like using island's, shore guns and fjords to split attention so it has time to calculate firing lines and . . . huh.}_

"What? Let me guess, no single ship has ever survived an engagement with one?"

 _{No, there two notes alongside the data. One that it just recently got a kill against a cruiser a while back, and a more recent one that was just added by . . .Montana. You probably don't want to hear it honestly.}_

"Anything that helps me figure these things out."

 _{That's the thing. Montana left a note explicitly stating to not tell you additional information. Looks like you're flying blind. Oh, it does say the battleship is alone at the moment though.}_

"Well that's just peachy… are there any recordings or anything of previous engagements?" I ask while launching a floatplane for recon.

 _{There's one recent one, but you kind of already know what happens}_ Scylla replies as a data file is sent over.

"It's mine isn't it." I grumble, opening the file. Sure enough, it's footage from Topeka from the engagement in the strait. "Well shit. Thanks for trying, guess I'll wing it."

 _{Have fun!}_

"Nothing like hunting dangerous game." I respond before ending the communication. With one plane already airborne I launch a second, and then a third to ensure I spot this thing before it spots me.

* * *

Minutes turn to hours, then the hours turn into an entire day. Spent doing nothing but patrolling, sending out planes and scouring every mile for any sign of the battleship. First sending them East, then sending them West, to no avail. I even sail into the bay, and fire a few shells at the fishing village in New Homer before heading southwest along the west side of Kodiak Island through the Shelikof Strait.

"Man… I always wanted to go to Kodiak to hunt, but I never would've thought it'd be like this…" I sigh, looking at the dark silhouette of the island and remembering my grandfather's stories of huge Brown Bear and Sitka deer.

Then I'm jerked out of my own daydreaming by the distant roar of sixteen-inch guns. Too far away to be firing at me, but close enough to be heard.

I accelerate to flank speed and send up my planes again as adrenaline starts to course through me. Once I'm around Kodiak Island I can see the flash of guns to the south, accompanied several seconds later by a bright violet flash and a fireball. I pull up my radar and acquire the battleship, then prepare eight missiles.

Another flash of guns, and another violet explosion before I fire the missiles and start to maneuver into firing position for my guns. The entire time I sail towards the battleship I watch the range to target like a hawk, but as I get closer the seas get rougher, and the battleship stops shooting.

"What are you up to…?" I murmur to myself, watching the distance between us close more rapidly than before. When they get within firing range and don't fire I grin to myself and prep another six missiles, since the last eight were all destroyed by the Phalanx systems on board.

As the distance closes to twenty miles a genuinely exciting thought passes through my mind.

' _I wonder how close I can get?'_

Grinning to myself I load all the kinetic guns with high-capacity corrosive shells, to increase the probability of a first-salvo kill, then start recording the whole ordeal via cameras placed in points of good visibility on my ship. I slow down to a reasonable thirty knots and reroute that processing power to be on standby for traversing the guns.

More slowly now but still pretty steadily the distance continues to close, to fifteen miles, then twelve, ten, eight, and at seven miles a searchlight is turned on aboard the ship and aimed at me.

' _Gotcha now.'_

I apply hard right rudder and traverse all my main battery to port, bringing my secondary battery to bear in seconds. A quick firing calculation while the battleship struggles to track me with its main battery, and it's game over. All nine of the sixteen-inch corrosive shells slam into the waterline as the ten five-inch shells hit the superstructure and the guns.

After the corrosive fields do their work most of the port side of the ship is corroded away, and the ship sits in the water for a brief second before the ammunition magazine detonates. Much to my surprise, the vast amounts of shrapnel produced from the explosion actually increases the saturation level on my klein field, if only barely. I immediately begin to slow down and come about to start the process of searching for any survivors, shining spotlights in the water to spot any floaters before lowering a motor launch into the water and starting a more in-depth search, ignoring the rough seas.

Near the fore end of the sinking ship I find an unconscious woman floating in the water, her uniform identifying her as a member of the bridge crew. Her oriental features and ebony black hair almost reminds me of Kako, and I quickly search her after pulling her into the boat. Pistol, fried cellphone, wallet, Navy ID. Nothing special. I take the pistol and stuff it in my waistband before checking her for any injuries.

She looks to be relatively unharmed excluding a piece of shrapnel in her right shoulder, which is embedded too deep for me to even think about trying to remove it without Hope being nearby. I bandage up the wound as best I can and head back to the ship with her, concluding my search just as day starts to break on the horizon.

Having completed my objective I send Montana the video and a report, stating I've found one woman for the hybrid program, and that I'm ending my patrol.

Then as I'm carrying the woman up to my bridge I hear a voice from down in the water.

"Hey! A little help up!?"

I look down and find a small life raft with three people sitting in it, each in a navy style uniform, with a Fog sigil on the shoulder of their jackets.

I make a staircase from the railing down to the water and carry the woman inside my bridge, laying her down on my bed before heading back out. By now the three are standing on my deck, and I wave them up to my bridge, making yet another staircase for them. They all ascend and meet me inside, the first person being a strawberry blonde with a rather pale complexion, followed by a chestnut-haired woman who looks to be the oldest of the three, probably in her late twenties or early thirties. Lastly is a tall blonde girl, who presents herself like she means business.

"Hello. Thank you for helping us. I'm the hybrid medical ship Tryon. These are my escorts Roanoke and Worcester. Worcester-class hybrids." She salutes me before motioning to the blonde, and then to the strawberry blonde.

"I'm the South Dakota-class hybrid Alaska, previously an Alaska-class. Pleased to meet you all, and welcome aboard." I respond, sitting down in my chair after returning the salute. "Feel free to make yourselves comfortable. We're in for a bit of a voyage back to my fleet."

"You mind if I take a look at her?" Tryon asks, pointing questioningly at the unconscious woman.

"Be my guest, just don't wake her up." I yawn, reclining my chair while making some beanbag chairs and a couch in the rear of the bridge by my bed. "And don't wake me up. It's been a long twenty-four hours."

"Can do, enjoy your rest."

"Always."

* * *

 **[A/N]: I've got two chapters stored away. If y'all want more, just say so.**


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